Larry looked at Raymond across from him, his eyes filled with joy. "Raymond, I never expected Melinda to be the girl who saved William back then. What a coincidence! Now, you should let Melinda be with William. After all, you never wanted to marry her before."
Raymond was silent for a moment, then picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Okay."
"Do you like Emily? Have you ever thought about marrying her?" Larry asked tentatively.
"No," Raymond answered without hesitation.
"That's good. Emily is too scheming; I don't like her either," Larry said clearly.
He had always been a good judge of character. Although Emily appeared gentle and lovely on the surface, she was not like that inside.
Looking at his two grandsons in front of him, Larry couldn't help but sigh, "No matter what, Melinda is part of our family."
Half an hour later, Melinda returned home.
She took a hot shower and changed into comfortable pajamas, feeling completely relaxed.
The nanny, Asher, had already left. She lay on the bed holding Sam.
Her mind kept replaying Raymond's jerk behavior today. He had forcefully kissed her again! What bad luck!
"Mommy, what are you thinking about?" Sam turned to look at her, his eyes full of curiosity. "Are you thinking about Raymond?"
Melinda was startled and quickly explained, "No, I was just thinking about work." She didn't want Sam to know that her mind was full of that jerk Raymond.
However, even when she fell asleep in the middle of the night, Raymond's image still lingered in her mind.
She turned over restlessly. Raymond was like a curse, occupying her thoughts even when he wasn't around.
Early the next morning, after sending Sam to kindergarten, Melinda, who hadn't slept well, felt groggy. Since there wasn't much to do, she leaned back in her chair to rest.
At that moment, Delilah knocked on the door and walked in. "What's wrong? Did the party end late last night?"
"Yeah, I had insomnia," Melinda said weakly.
"Then go have a cup of coffee to perk up," Delilah said before leaving her office.
"Okay!" Melinda walked out of the lab, stretching her stiff neck.
Across from the lab's entrance, a new coffee shop had opened, and the enticing aroma of coffee filled the air. Every time she passed by, she couldn't help but look at it with anticipation.
She then walked lightly to a seat by the window and ordered a signature latte. When the barista handed her the carefully crafted coffee, she took a gentle sip. The rich coffee and smooth milk intertwined on her tongue, bringing an indescribable satisfaction.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of peace and beauty.
Tiffany was chatting leisurely with a well-dressed girl, whose attire revealed her affluent background.
Catching sight of Melinda from the corner of her eye, Tiffany's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Look, isn't that the one who stole the show yesterday?"
Melinda heard this and just smiled faintly, ignoring them.
Her composure contrasted sharply with Tiffany's harshness.
Tiffany didn't seem to want to let it go. She continued with her sarcastic remarks, "What a rare spectacle!"
Melinda put down her coffee cup and smiled at Tiffany. "Ms. Carter, you seem very interested in my performance yesterday. But surprises should always be saved for last."
Her tone was gentle but carried an undeniable strength.
Tiffany was momentarily stunned by her aura, unable to respond. The girl sitting next to her curiously observed Melinda, trying to see what made her so special.
She wanted to know who Melinda was.
"Tiffany, she's really pretty. Do you know her?"
At the same time, Melinda and Tiffany said in unison, "Not really!"
Melinda didn't care and walked out of the coffee shop. Tiffany's anger burned inside her. She couldn't believe she had been bested by a woman like Melinda.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms without feeling any pain.
Her eyes were filled with hatred and determination, as if saying, "I will never let you go!"
At three in the afternoon, Melinda had just returned from discussing work with Delilah. She opened her office door to find William sitting in her chair.
"What are you doing here?" Melinda looked at him in surprise.
William spun the chair around and flashed her a bright smile. "I missed you, so I came to see you."
"Of course, I came specifically to see you. Tonight, I want to have dinner with you and Sam," William said expectantly.
"Uh? Tonight?" Melinda's heart skipped a beat. She still had to prepare dinner for Raymond.
William suddenly reached for the cup on her desk. "I'm so thirsty." He was about to drink.
"Wait!" Melinda's eyes widened as she quickly took the cup back. "You can't drink this."
William looked at her, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "So stingy, I can't even have a sip?"
Melinda pressed the intercom and asked Kathy to bring a cup of water.
She was puzzled. Why didn't she react when Raymond drank from her cup, but had such a big reaction when William touched it?
"Tonight won't work; I have something to do. Maybe another day," she said calmly while tidying up.
William elegantly took a sip of water, his eyes slightly raised. "Don't be so quick to refuse. I came back with great difficulty. How about we celebrate together? I'll treat you to a big meal."
"Alright, I'll go after work," Melinda said, continuing to tidy up.
William suddenly received a message on his phone and hurriedly stood up. "I need to go to Raymond's place. I'll come find you later."
"Okay," Melinda nodded.
At the door, William turned back. "Melinda, are you close with Raymond?"
"We're not close at all," Melinda replied almost reflexively.
William smiled and left.
Melinda breathed a sigh of relief but felt like she and Raymond were having an affair.
She picked up her phone and sent Raymond a message, "I'm taking Sam and William out for dinner tonight, so I won't be making dinner for you." After sending the message, she felt completely relaxed.
Ten minutes later, in the president's office of the Thomas Group, the atmosphere was a bit strange. Two men sat facing each other. One was William, with a carefree smile, and the other was Raymond, with deep, ocean-like eyes.
"Raymond, my girlfriend Melinda works here. Please take care of her," William said.
Raymond raised an eyebrow, his tone playful. "What's your relationship with her?"