Chapter 176
Melanie subconsciously said, “No need, I’ll change at home.”
Stephen insisted on having her change. “It’s not comfortable wearing dirty clothes.” He looked solemn as he continued, “And you’ll get sick wearing wet clothes. You don’t want to worry your grandfather, do you?”
At the mention of her grandfather, Melanie did not try refuting anymore and took the coat. She thanked Stephen and put it on.
It was indeed a bit cold. The air conditioning in the room was on full blast, and her clothes were a bit damp, making her uncomfortable. Melanie sat in the corner because she was trying to avoid the air conditioning.
Seeing that she had put on his coat, the seriousness on Stephen’s face disappeared. He went to pour a cup of hot water for Melanie.
Melanie held the hot water in her hand and chatted with him aimlessly. Meanwhile, in the pool room, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted, followed by the dissatisfied voice of Simon. He said, “Do you all look down on me just because I didn’t arrange a date with a young model today?”
‘á
Simon’s playboy reputation was well–known. People in the circle knew about his relationships with young models and internet celebrities. Melanie was not interested in that, and she sipped her hot
water slowly.
Joshua came out. Seeing that Stephen was back, he quickly said, “Stephen, come inside and join us. They’re betting, and we need one more person.”
Stephen looked at Melanie, who replied calmly, “You go and play. I’ll sit here for a while.”
Joshua suggested, “Melanie, come join us. They’re playing something interesting.”
Melanie was not interested in getting involved in their game and shook her head, refusing.
Joshua did not push her and led Stephen inside.
Before going in, Stephen whispered to Melanie, “If anything happens, come find me.” Then, he entered the pool room with Joshua.
Most of the people in the living room had gone to the pool room, leaving those who did not know each other playing on their phones.
The living room suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of rain pattering outside and occasional Jaughter from the pool room.
Simon grabbed a pool cue and looked at everyone, “Who wants to play with me?”
Eugene was the first to refuse. “You’re bad at it. It’s not fun.”
Simon was not satisfied and looked at Stephen. “Stephen, will you play with me?”
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Stephen was a man with a good temperament and nodded willingly. “Sure.”
He took off his jacket, leaving only a white shirt. He looked even more gentle and refined.
Zack came back in with some water and glanced at Stephen. He then asked Joshua beside him quietly, “Is the woman outside Stephen’s girlfriend?”
Joshua took a moment to realize he was referring to Melanie. His expression turned somewhat strange as he asked Zack, “Why are you asking that?”
“That woman, isn’t she wearing Stephen’s coat? Tsk, what’s her name? Melanie, right?”
Zack thought he was speaking quietly, but everyone around him heard his every word.
Viola pulled on Eugene’s sleeve, curiosity reflecting on her face as she asked, “Could Melanie and Mr. Stephen really be together?”
Eugene’s fingertips froze, his dark eyes showing no emotion. After a moment, he lowered his gaze and spoke in a cold voice, “I don’t know.”
Chapter 177
Viola pursed her lips and smiled. Leaning her head on Eugene’s shoulder, she said gently, “If it’s true, then Melanie and Mr. Stephen would be a perfect match.”
Eugene’s brows had the barest furrow as he made a non–committal sound. Viola’s lips curled up a slightly bigger smile.
Meanwhile, Melanie sat in the corner, not doing much. She had Xander send her some materials and took this time to slowly organize them. The rain seemed to be letting up a bit. As she was wrapped in Stephen’s coat, she did not feel as cold.
When she heard footsteps approaching, Melanie subconsciously looked over, only to see Eugene walking toward her. He was expressionless and had his phone in hand.
He was answering a call, his tone cold and brows slightly furrowed. He threw out a sentence, “I want to see all the materials at Monday’s meeting.”
The person on the other end of the call said some things, and Eugene’s expression grew even colder.
Sitting not far away, Melanie had already lowered her head and gone back to organizing the materials Xander had given her. It was only when Eugene ended the call that she looked up again to glance at
him.
Eugene had been looking down at his phone, but in the instant her gaze swept over him, he sensed it and looked up. His eyes immediately caught the coat she was wearing. His gaze was deep, and it was
unclear to Melanie what he was thinking.
Melanie pursed her lips. She could tell Eugene was not in a particularly great mood at the moment. Thus, she tactfully averted her gaze, continuing to be her own invisible self.
Eugene did not stay outside for long and quickly returned to the pool room, leaving Melanie alone in the living room.
It was not until the early morning that the game finally ended. The rain outside had reduced to a drizzle. Stephen came out of the pool room and asked Melanie, “Feeling sleepy?”
“If you’re tired, I can drive,” Melanie said.
Just as she said that, she saw Joshua coming over. He looked somewhat embarrassed as he asked Stephen, “Stephen, could you help us? There looks to be a problem with Zack’s car. Can you give them
a ride back?”
Stephen had the best temperament among this group. It was why Joshua dared to come and ask him for help. Stephen hesitated, saying, “But I need to take Melanie back.”
“The main issue is Lavender. She had a bit too much to drink, and it’s not very safe for her to take a taxi. Since both your routes are the same, could you help out?” Being the host, Joshua was busy
making arrangements.
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