An hour later, Deanna walked out of Harris Group with a signed cooperation agreement, feeling elated.
Sitting in the car, she looked at the document in her hand and sighed, "I thought it would take several rounds of negotiation to secure this deal. I didn't expect it to be so easy."
"Isn't it good that it was quick? Now you have extra time to explore the area," Lance said with a smile.
Deanna playfully retorted, "Of course it's good. I'm just surprised. And I know we owe this quick agreement to your influence."
She knew that Mr. Harris was likely impressed by the Mercer family behind her, which made the cooperation proceed smoothly.
Lance, seeing her reaction, didn't continue the topic. Instead, he changed the subject and asked with a smile, "It's still early. Do you want to look around?"
"Sure, let's pick out some gifts for Gregory and Chloe," Deanna agreed with a smile.
Little did they know, just after they left Harris Group, an unexpected woman appeared at the company.
The receptionist recognized her immediately and greeted respectfully, "Good day, missus."
"Is Trystan in his office?" the woman asked coldly, carrying a handbag.
The receptionist nodded, "Yes, should I inform the president to come down?"
"No need," she replied curtly and walked towards the elevator in her high heels.
In less than two minutes, she arrived at Trystan's office door and pushed it open without knocking.
Trystan looked up instinctively at the sound and saw a beautiful woman walking in. His eyes softened instantly.
"Bella, why are you here? Why didn't you call me first? I could have come down to meet you."
"I can find my way. Why would you need to come down?" Bella replied arrogantly.
Yes, the woman was none other than Bella, who had been driven out of Cloudmere by Lance.
After saying that, regret flashed in her eyes, and she quickly corrected herself, "I mean, you're usually so busy. There's no need for you to come down."
Trystan didn't mind her inconsistent words. He knew Bella didn't like him; their engagement was something he had secured through conditions.
With a slight smile, he asked gently, "Is there something you need?"
"I... Do you have time for lunch?" Bella wanted to state her purpose directly but thought better of it. If she did, he would surely become suspicious.
Trystan's smile grew more genuine. "Are you asking me out for lunch?"
"You could say that," Bella nodded and added, "My grandfather asked me to come over. He said we haven't seen each other in a while."
She couldn't let him guess her true intentions.
Trystan didn't notice the change in her eyes and happily said, "Whatever the reason, I'm glad you came to see me. Give me ten minutes to finish my work, and we'll go for lunch."
Bella nodded and sat on the sofa nearby.
Ten minutes later, Trystan finished his work, picked up his suit jacket from the chair, and looked at Bella flipping through a magazine. He chuckled softly, "I'm ready. Let's go."
Hearing this, Bella put down the magazine and stood up to leave. But before she could take a step, a large hand grasped hers.
Instinctively wanting to pull away, she found his grip like iron, making it impossible to break free. Remembering her purpose, she ultimately didn't resist and let him hold her hand.
Trystan felt the change in her hand and smiled even more brightly.
"What shall we eat?"
"I reserved a table at the restaurant downstairs," Bella replied perfunctorily.
Trystan acted as if he didn't notice and said with a smile, "It seems you really like that restaurant downstairs. This is the fifth time we've gone there. In that case, I'll buy it so that whenever you want to eat there, the chef can come to our home."
Bella was taken aback by his words. She looked at Trystan suspiciously, feeling he must be saying this on purpose to retaliate against her casual attitude.
The restaurant downstairs was only average in taste. If not for convenience, she wouldn't have set foot in such a place.
Yet as she doubted him, his expression remained sincere and affectionate as if he genuinely meant it.
Ridiculous!
"There's no need to buy it. I just thought it's close to your office. After lunch, you'll still have time to rest," Bella found an excuse to refuse.
Trystan knew it was just an excuse but still appreciated it and nodded, "So it's for my sake. You're so considerate."
After saying that, he looked at Bella even more tenderly.