Chapter 29 Reading Her Mind
He raised his hand to ruffle her hair and slipped an admission ticket into her palm.
"You need this to get in."
"Oh..."
They walked side by side.
Donovan pinched the rabbit ears on Iris' hoodie with his right hand, making it look like he was wrapping his arm around her waist from behind.
His long fingers occasionally brushed against her back, startling her and causing her to try to step forward. However, she was pulled back by Donovan tugging on the rabbit ears.
Iris deeply regretted wearing this hoodie!
After walking for a while, Iris glanced around. Unusually, she broke the silence to speak to Donovan.
"Donovan, where's Harrison?"
Donovan snorted. "What, taken a liking to him?"
Iris couldn't speak for a moment and just shook her head.
Donovan's brow furrowed slightly. He tightened his grip on her rabbit ears, forcing her to stop in her tracks.
"Not answering?"
Iris opened her mouth, then closed it again, blinking.
This time, Donovan saw through her easily.
She cursed him silently.
Donovan averted his gaze and adjusted the rabbit-eared hat to cover her large eyes.
Then, as if carrying a stuffed rabbit, he grabbed the back of her hoodie and strode inside.
"Don't mention him again."
Tide Island was a hilly, mountainous isle. Beyond its lush vegetation and verdant landscapes, its most captivating feature was the vibrant, colorful racetrack encircling the island.
Along the track, luxury sports cars from around the world were displayed side by side, with each brand occupying its own exhibition area.
Iris knew little about sports cars and couldn't identify all the logos. She simply marveled at their stunning exterior designs.
One glance was enough to know that not a single one was cheap!
At the starting point was a sleek, minimalist tented lounge area.
Sebastian was seated on the right side of the tent, waving at Donovan as he entered.
"Good morning, Donovan!"
Donovan walked over slowly, holding Iris' hand, and sat down across from Sebastian.
Juniper took a seat beside Sebastian instinctively, and he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
"The big star looks different all dressed up, huh?"
Juniper smiled, her expression subtle yet alluring. "I just dressed up a bit for the meeting with you, you know?"
"Good girl."
Sebastian lifted his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap.
With such a beautiful woman throwing herself into his embrace, he had no reason to refuse—especially since today's Juniper was truly captivating.
Across from them, Donovan rested his right arm on the back of Iris' chair while holding the menu in his left hand and placing it in front of her.
“Order whatever you want.”
This posture, half-enveloping her in his embrace, was a clear declaration: She was his.
It seemed like, for Donovan, this deal wasn't as important as a woman.
Sebastian smiled with a hint of disdain and lifted his coffee cup for a sip.
Wright found the place boring.
He planned to go out and look at car models.
"You guys chat. I'll go take a walk outside."
He grabbed a slice of bread and waved at Donovan.
The moment Donovan acknowledged him, Wright bolted for the exit.
"Wright..."
Iris rose to follow immediately, but before she could finish calling out, Donovan seized her shoulder and pressed her back into her chair.
"Iris, order!"
Donovan's voice was low and deep. He leaned so close that she could feel an overwhelmingly dominant and aggressive aura emanating from him.
She didn't dare move, shrinking obediently into her chair as she ordered a strawberry milkshake and steak.
She glanced at her right shoulder. Donovan's arm was still draped over her, and his clean, slender fingers were lazily resting on her chest.
Uncomfortably, Iris shifted her gaze and whispered, "Donovan, I've ordered."
Donovan closed the menu with one hand and handed it to the waiter nearby. "Two of the same as hers."
"Certainly, sir."
The waiter bowed and handed Donovan a booklet containing detailed specifications for every car model at the auto show.
Donovan held the booklet and glanced sideways, noticing Iris stealing glances at him, as if waiting for him to open it.
He passed the booklet to her.
“Iris, pick one for me.”
Iris shook her head. "I don't know anything about cars. You should pick one yourself.”
After speaking, she glanced again at his arm draped over her shoulder, her eyes brimming with expectation.
That single glance revealed her thoughts to Donovan.
Instead of withdrawing his arm, he smiled at her.
"You don't need to know. Just pick one that goes fast."
Iris couldn't resist his persistence and took the brochure, flipping through it casually.
Even the cheapest sports car started at five million dollars, leaving Iris speechless.
She pointed to one at random.
"This one! The Lamborghini.”
Donovan's right hand moved upward and pinched her soft, pale cheek with just the right amount of pressure.
"You really like Lamborghinis, huh? All you see is that logo.”
“No, I don't...”
Iris didn't understand why Donovan said that, but she quickly remembered the Lamborghini Sophia had parked at the ATV villa. She looked up at Donovan and gave him an awkward smile.
"I just think it's pretty."
"I told you to pick the fastest one. You picked the prettiest one. Were you even listening?"
Noticing that Donovan was about to pinch her ear, Iris panicked, scrunched back against the chair, and pouted,
"I don't know about cars. I don't know what makes one fast. Why don't you just pick one yourself?"
Donovan pointed to the numbers beside the model. "Look at this: horsepower and peak torque."
Iris dared not brush him off again. After flipping through page after page, she pointed to one.
"How about this one? I compared them, and none have better specs than this one.”
Surprisingly, this time Donovan didn't nitpick Iris. He nodded.
"Hmm, not bad. This one it is.”
Iris glanced down at the price tag.
It started at 50 million.
Fifty million was just the starting price?
Iris' eyelid twitched.
Fortunately, after last night's experience counting money, seeing such figures didn't shock her as much.
She pressed her lips together and took small bites of her cake.
As she ate, her mood lifted considerably.