Snow truly loves Charles Smith.
Charles Smith just gave a little advice, and she willingly took the "bla" upon herself.
Alia looked at her best friend, her entire face filled with reluctance, but she clung onto her arm tightly, not giving her a chance to escape.
"Snow, why am I getting dragged into your guys’ business?"
"Co on, you’re not an outsider. Besides, you two knew each other first, so why are you acting like enemies all of a sudden?"
Alia hesitated, "Well... there are so things you don’t know."
"I don’t know? Then tell !" Snow, as always, was carefree. "I love gossip the most!"
Alia: "..."
The two of them were chatting as they headed to their seats, talking back and forth.
With such a complex family background, Alia couldn’t explain it right now. Amidst their banter, they had already reached the window-side seats.
The restaurant was upscale, with an elegant environnt, an unbeatable view, and pleasant, lively music perford by a live orchestra in the hall.
In such a refined, high-end restaurant, even though Alia was extrely unwilling in her heart, she couldn’t make a scene.
She could only nod slightly and politely to Charles Smith and take a seat.
Seeing her beloved idol, Snow imdiately put away her careless deanor and transford into a poised and elegant lady.
Alia still didn’t know the truth about this al. Seeing her friend’s "pretentious" appearance, she really thought it was Snow who had invited Charles Smith out and brought her along out of embarrassnt.
Thinking this way, she felt more at ease.
After all, Charles Smith knew nothing, so there was no need for her to automatically assu that identity.
"Isn’t Doctor Smith always very busy? How co you have ti off at midday today?" Once her mind was set, Alia quickly returned to normal and initiated the greeting.
Charles Smith smiled and looked at the ti on his wrist: "Even a busy doctor needs to eat and drink. I don’t have any surgeries today, just consultations, so I can take a break at noon."
"Oh, I see..." Alia nodded, glanced at her best friend, and signaled her to find a topic.
But Snow, watching their interaction, looked heartbroken.
She couldn’t understand, what did she lack compared to Alia?
Doctor Smith clearly knew she was in a relationship, knew she already had three kids, yet he was still deeply fascinated by her—since they sat down, his eyes never left her best friend.
She was extrely hurt, but fortunately, she still had so sense, understanding that you can’t force feelings and that liking soone is their freedom. So she could only comfort herself inwardly.
"Uh... let’s order. Your lunch break must be pretty tight too, right? Hurry up and eat and go back." Since his mind wasn’t on her, there was no need to continue wasting ti.
Snow couldn’t wait to finish the al and leave this "punishnt" scene.
Charles Smith was indeed in a hurry, but he had made ti out of his busy schedule, so sothing needed to be "achieved."
So, when he picked up the nu to order, he looked at the girl across from him and asked gentlemanly, "Shall I order you two non-alcoholic drinks?"
"Sure!" Snow nodded with a smile.
While Charles Smith continued ordering, Alia lowered her head to play with her phone, chatting with Snow on WhatsApp.
[What’s going on with you? You invited him out, but you’re not talking?]
Snow: Didn’t you notice? His mind is not on .
[Really? What do you an? Are you giving up?]
Snow: Sigh...
"I’ve finished ordering, do you want to add anything else?" Charles Smith handed them the nu for supplent.
Snow took the nu, looked it over satisfied, and called the waiter to place the order.
Charles Smith’s gaze once again lingered on Alia.
He had to admit, looking closely now, her exquisite and beautiful face did resemble his father’s deanor in certain ways.
Why hadn’t they suspected it before?
After Snow finished speaking with the waiter and turned her gaze back, she noticed Charles Smith staring at Alia, so she couldn’t help but cough while pretending to drink water.
This cough brought Charles Smith back to reality, and he imdiately found a topic, "Clarke Norton, these days... those things online have caused you a lot of trouble. My dad has been feeling very guilty. He’s already in River City, but he’s afraid that eting you might stir up more trouble, so..."
Snow suddenly realized sothing and asked in surprise, "So, your dad sent you to apologize?"
Charles Smith smiled, "I suppose so."
This way?
A question mark popped into Snow’s head again. Did she misunderstand? Was his interest in her best friend not of a romantic nature?
Alia politely smiled, "There’s no need. Chairman Smith and I are open and aboveboard. It’s those online trolls who are spreading groundless rumors and defaming us, having nothing to do with Chairman Smith."
"Hmm, it’s best if you think that way." Charles Smith saw her attitude was quite kind and couldn’t help but probe further, rembering his father’s words, "By the way, I heard yesterday there was a patient who jumped from the Second Hospital. Was that... your father?"
Snow was taken aback, "Even you know about this?"
"An incident in the dical system, and it’s so sensational, what’s strange about that?" Charles Smith spoke matter-of-factly.
Snow: "That’s true. That video went viral on social dia yesterday."
Alia Garcia didn’t respond. She felt indifferent towards Michael Garcia now, even ntioning him felt like a waste of words.
Charles Smith observed her too calm expression and her ability to co out for dinner today. There was no sign of a daughter’s worry or anxiety for her father, which made him have a bold guess in his heart.
"Aren’t you... worried about your father’s condition at all? I heard he originally had rectal cancer, and after falling from the fourth floor, even if he managed to survive by chance, he probably doesn’t have much ti left. But you seem..."
If Snow Fitch had asked this question, and there were no outsiders present, Alia Garcia would have surely replied directly—Michael Garcia is not my biological father, his life or death has nothing to do with .
But now it was Charles Smith asking, and he was Thomas Smith’s son.
She hadn’t yet figured out how to face that biological father...
Unexpectedly, before she could answer while hesitating, Snow spoke up first: "What’s there to worry about, a father lower than an animal? Alia has repaid the Garcia Family enough over the years, she shouldn’t be dragged down by such a father for a lifeti. If he gets taken by the heavens sooner, it would be a blessing for the world."
Charles Smith didn’t refute these words but rather asked along: "Since Michael Garcia is so excessive, have you never thought... maybe you’re not his biological child?"
Alia Garcia’s eyelashes fluttered, she looked at him, and from his slightly strange eyes, she instantly understood sothing.
Could it be... he has already heard so news?
But who told him?
The atmosphere at the dining table beca tense.
Snow’s face turned serious, she glanced back at her friend, seeing her with a stiff face, then turned to Charles Smith, rarely speaking coldly to the man she admired: "Doctor Smith, what do you an by that? Do you realize your words are slandering Alia’s mom?"
"I—" He was about to explain when the floor manager arrived with waiters to serve the dishes, interrupting their conversation.
"Hello, sorry to interrupt, here are your dishes, and these are your drinks, wish everyone a pleasant al."
"Thank you."
The manager and waiters turned and left. Charles Smith looked at Alia Garcia’s expression, then glanced at the drink with a straw in it, changed his mind, and smiled, saying: "Let’s eat, let’s not talk about those unpleasant topics."
Snow gave him a glare, "You do know those topics are unpleasant!"
"Sorry."
The two exchanged glances, but Alia remained silent, rely picking up her drink and taking a deep sip.
Observing the awkward atmosphere, Snow had no choice but to display her usual shaless charm, taking control of the situation.
She transitioned the topic smoothly, from discussing the illnesses of her nurous aunts to showing curiosity about Charles Smith’s professional abilities, and the complex doctor-patient relationships today, ensuring the conversation never went cold.
Alia Garcia occasionally joined in the conversation, still pondering if Charles Smith knew sothing.
Before the al was finished, her phone chid.
She picked it up and glanced at it, her pupils showing clear shock.
Three-Year-Old Hart: Thomas Smith’s secretary contacted Lucas King, saying the project in S city needs further refinent. Coincidentally, Thomas Smith himself is in River City and hopes to have a face-to-face eting with at the office tomorrow.
Second ssage: It seems, without seeing you in person, he wants to start with .
After reading the two WhatsApp ssages, and connecting it with Charles Smith’s earlier question, she replied: Do you think he already knows?
Christopher Hart: Know what? About your background?
Alia: Yeah.
Christopher Hart: How could he? Was it Jacob Garcia? But wouldn’t he be overwheld right now? Why would he bother to talk about this? What’s his motive? For money?
Alia Garcia didn’t know, but she felt extrely uneasy inside.
She actually had a good impression of the Smith father and son, whether it was their poise and charm, personal character and charisma, or because of that special relationship between Chairman Smith and her mother when she was alive, she felt very close, very fond of them psychologically.
But knowing her own background, she suddenly felt an inexplicable resentnt...
Rationally, she understood Thomas Smith had his own difficulties and reasons.
But emotionally, thinking about the pain her mother endured, the tragic end of misery, all stemming from this man, she couldn’t help but resent.
She even thought, Thomas Smith must have later fallen for soone else, otherwise upon returning, shouldn’t he have inquired more about her mother’s situation?
Had he just inquired a bit, he would surely have known her mother married badly, known that so-called husband was swallowing the Norton Family—With his capability, if he noticed in ti, he certainly could have saved her mother from distress.
Then maybe her grandfather wouldn’t have died from anger, and her mother wouldn’t have struggled in a miserable marriage, dying from grief.
Thinking of Thomas Smith’s forr wife with her sensitive special status, Alia Garcia couldn’t help but overthink—her mother wasn’t accepted by the Smith Family, definitely because they had predetermined a distinguished daughter-in-law, and Thomas Smith accepted the family’s arrangent, giving up on her mother.
She once desperately longed for paternal love, when she was young and helpless.
But this biological father never appeared.
Now, her life is smooth, with no need for embellishnts.
Alia Garcia stared at the phone, her heart a mix of emotions, and suddenly Snow ca over, "Why are you daydreaming? Hurry and eat!"
"Uh, eat, eat." Alia snapped out of it, agreed a couple of tis, then looked at them apologetically, "Well... I have sothing to attend to, I’ll have to leave first, you two take your ti eating."
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