Alia stared at him, her gaze fixed. She turned her head away to steady her emotions, crossed her arms, and then redirected her sight back to him.
Christopher lay half-reclined, watching her reactions with leisure. His eyebrows raised slightly, "So, have you made up your mind?"
Alia was so mad that she was practically fuming, "You’ve lost your mory, yet your rogue tendencies managed to stay intact? I’ve had a child, doesn’t that prove I’m a woman? What nonsense is running through your head?"
"Oh, really?" Mr. Hart feigned disappointnt but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at the corners of his eyes, "Your words are just too easy to misunderstand."
Speechless! Twisting things to bla others—impossible to reason with.
"Are you eating or not? If not, I’m leaving. I still have a mountain of work waiting for !" Frustrated by the exchange, Alia put on a stern face.
Christopher sighed dramatically and said with a deliberate arrogance, "If you’re busy, you shouldn’t have co. I’m hardly going to do anything to you."
She chuckled, "When Mr. Hart makes requests, who dares refuse? Anyway, I was going to eat regardless. If there’s a free lunch, why wouldn’t I take advantage?"
The verbal sparring between the two continued with countless rounds, each equally matched.
Eventually, Alia helped the arrogant lead character to his feet, adjusted him so he could lie down more comfortably, and handed the food over to him.
"Why aren’t you feeding ?"
"Do you really have no sha?"
"Why should I feel ashad?"
"If you don’t want to shove this food in your face, shut up and eat!"
"When I kissed you, you didn’t obediently let kiss you. But now you’re threatening to obediently eat..."
"Christopher Hart."
Her voice was calm, but the aura was dangerous.
Mr. Hart beca slightly wary, "Fine, let’s get serious—didn’t you say you had plans for lunch? Why’d you co here instead? Could it be you’re worried about ? You just won’t admit that I’ve taken up space in your heart?"
"..." Alia had a headache. Why hadn’t she noticed he was such a chatterbox before?
After a mont’s pause, she suddenly shifted the conversation, "Do you know what kind of image high-and-mighty CEOs like you usually have in novels?"
Christopher understood exactly what she ant and instantly thought of the novel he’d just read. He raised an eyebrow slightly, "Silent and reserved, scheming and inscrutable, cold but secretly warm-hearted?"
"Oh? You know quite a lot!" Even the term "cold but secretly warm-hearted," he knew.
He responded irritably, "Could you stop underestimating ? I’m still a young man, you know!"
"Alright, young man. Then let ask you: have you fulfilled the basic principles of a high-powered CEO?" Alia followed his lead and continued to mock him.
Mr. Hart looked genuinely surprised, "Why should I follow those principles? Don’t tell you actually like the ’macho alpha male diocre know-it-all’ type?"
"I..." She froze, suddenly unwilling to answer. Then with a decisive knock of her chopsticks, she exclaid, "Are you eating or not?"
Of course, she didn’t like those kinds of n!
She simply wished that the CEO before her would "keep the good traits and ditch the bad"—for example, learning the true aning of restraint and silence so she could enjoy so peace and quiet.
"Eat, of course. Otherwise, wouldn’t I waste the effort you’ve put into this al?" Mr. Hart finally began eating but couldn’t resist revisiting the earlier topic after a few monts’ silence, "You still haven’t answered —after saying you wouldn’t co, you suddenly showed up. Were you missing ?"
"..." Alia regretted coming over. She rolled her eyes and answered nonchalantly, "I was planning to have lunch with soone else, but they opted for so husband-and-wife bonding ti instead, so I got stood up."
"Husband? You made plans with a woman?"
"What did you think?"
Seeing his visibly relaxed expression, Alia imdiately understood his thoughts. She recalled the call Benny Palr made specifically to address the issue and, after pondering for a mont, offered an explanation: "About the photos of Kane and having lunch in Zurich—surely you’ve seen them? With that petty heart of yours, you probably added charges against in private. But I want to clarify that there’s absolutely nothing between Kane and ; it was just old friends catching up. Foreigners enjoy hugging; it’s a basic courtesy—not whatever the dia cooked up."
Christopher looked at her in surprise as she spoke.
He couldn’t believe it—she actually took the initiative to explain.
Was she afraid of him misunderstanding? Or afraid of him being angry?
"Alia, you’re finally considering my feelings." His refined and magnetic smile carried the sweetness of finally finding happiness after hardship.
Alia imdiately felt flustered and muttered, "I just don’t want to be wrongly accused anymore."
"You’re just being stubborn."
"That’s the truth."
Christopher’s mood visibly improved, and he finally resud eating without any sign of annoyance.
However, Alia kept glancing at him, clearly wanting to say sothing.
Eventually, he noticed and looked up, "What do you want to say?"
She pursed her lips, still hesitant.
Initially, she hadn’t planned to clear the air and reveal everything so soon. But he had already exposed his feelings so transparently that it seed pointless to keep hiding hers, only appearing pretentious in the process.
After a brief internal struggle, she glanced at him and, while eating, casually said, "Since you already know everything, there are so matters we need to clarify."
"Know everything?"
She frowned, "Christopher Hart, stop playing dumb! At least show so respect as a woman, will you?"
Her admission was clear.
Christopher’s lips curved into a cheerful smile as he nodded, "Alright, I’ll give you respect. Go on—"
She lowered her gaze, unable to et his eyes, "Since our relationship is returning to how it used to be, there are things we must clear up ahead of ti—I’m no longer the caged bird you once kept. Now, I have my own career, and I’m also a mother. In both work and life, I’ll inevitably interact with other n."
"As for you—you’re well aware of your own personality: domineering, controlling, possessive, stubborn, and ridiculously jealous... I don’t want us constantly fighting over such matters in the future, nor do I want you monitoring my work and personal life to the point of obsessing over whom I et or have als with every day."
Christopher had been feeling delighted about the first part of her speech.
She had said—our relationship is returning to how it used to be.
While there wasn’t a single ntion of love, to him, it was more moving than the sweetest lody, filling his heart with joy.
But what ca next? Certainly not music to his ears!
For soone as outstanding as him, unparalleled before or after his ti, why was every word from her mouth suspiciously disparaging?
His face showed displeasure, and he prepared to interrupt. But upon catching her earnest expression, he managed to hold back.
Once she finished speaking, he lowered his head and fiercely retorted, "I’m not nearly as awful as you say!"
Alia replied with a dry, humorless smile, "President Hart, it’s not shaful to admit personal flaws. In any relationship, if there’s no basic trust and freedom, even if we reconcile, we won’t last long."
"Nonsense! Once we reconcile, we’ll never part again!" His expression turned serious as he hastily made his vow. Then, softening his tone, he murmured, "Life is too short to waste five years... we’ve already lost enough ti. I won’t make the sa foolish mistakes again."
"If you truly want us to move forward together, take my words to heart and work on them."
Christopher looked at her, and Alia finally summoned the courage to et his gaze calmly and resolutely.
Understanding how much courage it took for her to say those words and recognizing her genuine intent to move past the past and start fresh, Christopher reflected on himself. Ultimately, he let go of his inherent arrogance and self-absorption and promised with a nod, "I’ll rember your words and do my best to change... those flaws."
Alia finally smiled.
"But—"
He suddenly changed the subject, and her expression froze, "But what?"
"But you also need to be vigilant. Corporate wolves and predators lurk everywhere, often disguised as elite professionals—you should keep your eyes open and avoid being deceived, or worse, taking the fall without realizing it."
Alia chuckled, dragging her tone sarcastically, "In River City’s business scene now, who doesn’t know that the owner of Venus has ties with Seal-Cloud Corporation’s Christopher Hart? Anyone who dares ss with would be suicidal."
Mr. Hart was quite satisfied with this response but imdiately followed up, "Even so, you still need to be cautious—while their actions might be restrained, who can say what’s in their hearts? Anyway, you must—"
"Christopher Hart, are you seriously going to worry about people’s thoughts?"
"Who cares about that... it’s just that, in my current state, I fear you might encounter danger, and I wouldn’t be able to rescue you imdiately."
"Alright, alright. Got it. You’re acting like I couldn’t survive without you all these years apart."
Having finally cleared the air, both confessed sentints long held within, and the conversation left them feeling unburdened.
A simple lunch filled their stomachs and soothed the hearts that had been parched for years.
Christopher was still in recovery, and although he could eat solid food now, his portions had to be controlled.
So, he stopped eating when he was half full, putting down his utensils and quietly watching Alia eat.
Alia tried to ignore him, but his gaze was too penetrating. Finally, she could only pretend to stay composed and ask, "Why are you staring at ? Do I have a particularly graceful or ghastly eating manner?"
With sheer affection in his eyes, he replied, "Of course, it’s graceful."
"Graceful while wolfing food down?" Calling herself a ssy eater wasn’t even modesty.
Mothers eat like they’re racing against ti—quickly and ravenously, without lingering to savor.
Years of this habit had shaped her dining style.
Christopher kept his focus on her, "Anything you do looks graceful."
"..." Alia was speechless.
Turns out, his mouth either spewed venom or dripped honey—such extre contrasts were amusing to witness.
"Alia."
"Hmm?"
"I’m sorry."
She raised her gaze, "What are you apologizing for out of the blue?"
"I owe you an apology for all the mistakes I made and the hurt I caused in the past."
She smiled faintly and, after putting down her utensils and wiping her mouth with a napkin, calmly said, "Let’s leave the past behind. Learn from it, improve yourself, and I promise not to bring up old grievances."
"Alright."
Christopher felt suprely reassured. The sense of losing and regaining, of having his heart refilled, made him feel as though life couldn’t offer a greater achievent than this.
"Alright, lunch is over. I need to go; take your rest and focus on recovering soon." Alia cleared the tray on the small table over the bed, checked the ti on her watch, and got ready to leave.
Christopher was predictably reluctant, his gaze filled with deep longing as if drawn out like molten chocolate.
"Do you have to go so quickly? Can’t you stay a few more minutes?"
"I have to—" Just as Alia was about to explain, her phone rang. She glanced at it, "A call from the company."
"Hello..."
"President Norton, the manager at the flagship store just called, saying a middle-aged man ca to the store specifically asking to see you," her secretary reported on the other end.
Alia was puzzled, "Who? Did they schedule an appointnt?"
"No, if they had an appointnt, they’d have co to the company instead of seeking you at the store."
No appointnt and showing up at the store—it reminded Alia of the ti when Betty caused chaos at the store. Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Alright, got it. I’ll head back right away."
After hanging up, Alia turned to Christopher on the bed and cut straight to the point, "I really need to go; there’s an issue at work."
Christopher noticed her frown and asked, "What’s going on? Is it serious?"
"Not sure yet. I’ll look into it when I get back. You rest up."
"Alright. If anything happens, let know. I might not be able to co personally, but I can send soone else to help."
Alia nodded, spun toward the door, and left behind a parting remark, "Just stop bullying Benny—I know it’s not easy for him, either!" Before her voice faded, she was already out the door.
Christopher stared at the door, his gaze lingering for a while before finally retracting it. A blissfully content smile spread across his face.
He picked up his phone, eager to share this good news.
"Hey, Benny..."
Benny Palr had visited the hospital earlier that morning. Back at work, he barely had ti to eat his cold lunch when Christopher’s call interrupted.
Answering his good friend’s call, Benny spoke through a mouthful of food, "What’s up, President Hart? Any orders for ?"
Christopher frowned slightly, "Can you speak properly?"
"How am I not speaking properly? Every ti you call, you’re giving more work."
"..." Mr. Hart was left montarily speechless, but his mood quickly shifted to elation. "Not this ti—I just wanted to tell you that Alia ca over to have lunch with , and we had a heartfelt talk that cleared up our feelings. She even said we’d put the past behind us—all of which ans we’re officially back together!"
"Oh..." Benny responded calmly, though his tone carried a hint of sarcasm, "Well, congratulations. It seems the clouds have parted, and the moon is shining for you. You’re quite lucky!"
"Why does that sound so off?"
"Does it? I just think it’s a sha Alia can’t escape your demonic grasp in this lifeti."
Christopher’s smile instantly faltered, "Couldn’t you say sothing nice for once?"
"We’re two sides of the sa coin; what’s there for you to complain about?"
"? A coin-toss against you?" Christopher suddenly broke into an overly smug laugh, "I have a wife and kids—triplets, mind you. That makes the clear winner at life! What do you have? Aside from your career, you’ve got nothing!"
His arrogance reached its peak, but he soon switched gears, "Oh wait—you have dog food, because single dogs absolutely need soone to scatter bits of romance at them."
Benny could never have imagined being insulted this thoroughly by anyone in his life. Exasperated, he slapped his chopsticks down on the table, "Christopher Hart! That’s crossing the line! If I’m single, whose fault is that? You’ve worked to the bone until there’s barely anything left—do I even have ti for dating?"
"Benny, being unable to find a girlfriend ans you need to reflect on yourself, improve, and stop blaming others—though, seeing how pitiful your situation is, I could ask Alia to help you scout for soone. Her company has plenty of female employees, local and international; satisfaction guaranteed."
Benny couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, "Ha! Ever heard a song called ’Listen to , Thank You’? I’ll hang up now, and thank you for sparing my dignity!"
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