Blake Sinclair suddenly paused his motion of ladling soup, the spoon hitting the bowl with a crisp sound.
He instinctively raised his eyes to look at the person opposite him.
Those clear eyes stared at him unblinkingly.
Those eyes were like a mirror, seemingly able to reveal all his deepest and most shaful desires.
How was he supposed to admit it?
Could he say that since he was eighteen, he’d harbored feelings for her that surpassed re sibling affection?
Could he say that his frequent flights back ho over the years weren’t due to so damned promise or sibling bond, but rather uncontrollable longing and feelings that had long soured?
Or should he say that every ti she interacts with him without a hint of reservation, his heart is torn between bliss and the agony of sin?
She always depended on him so purely as her brother.
He was scared.
Afraid that once everything was revealed, she would be frightened, the balance between them would be shattered, and he would lose even this only identity that allowed him to stand openly by her side.
For the first ti in his life, Blake Sinclair felt ashad and fearful in front of Holly Crowe.
He lowered his eyes; his long lashes cast a tiny shadow under his eyes, concealing the turmoil within them.
He heard his own voice, tense from lying, say, "No."
Perhaps thinking this answer was too thin, he reluctantly added another reason to make the excuse seem more reasonable.
"I’m about to officially return to take over the Sinclair Group, and I will be very busy with everything focused on my career. At the mont, I’m not planning nor have t anyone suitable for a relationship."
Holly felt as if she heard the sound of her heart breaking.
The fla that had just been doused was completely extinguished, leaving not even a spark.
It turns out, his feelings for her were indeed just those of a brother to his sister.
It was all wishful thinking on her part.
Moreover, he was Blake Sinclair, the future heir to the enormous Sinclair Group.
How could his marriage be dictated by his whims?
It would most likely be a comrcial marriage, a union of forces, just like in so many TV dramas.
In re seconds, Holly’s mind had conjured a lodramatic scene in which Blake Sinclair entered a grand marriage with a wealthy heiress, while she could only muster a forced smile from the sidelines, watching as rely his "sister."
Just imagining that scene made her heart ache, and her eyes brimd with heat.
Her hidden crush hadn’t even sprouted before being strangled in the cradle.
Blake Sinclair could sense that after answering the question, Holly Crowe’s emotions visibly sank.
He instinctively thought it was because he had declined her "friend’s" proposal, affecting her mood.
Perhaps, she really liked that boy?
Is that why she seed so disappointed?
Blake Sinclair’s heart sank further, stifled with anxiety.
Lunchti was over.
Blake Sinclair went outside to fetch the car.
Holly was waiting by the floor-to-ceiling window near the restaurant entrance.
Her phone vibrated; it was a ssage from Tina Keane.
[Dearest Holly, Jay’s roommate is already near the restaurant where you are. His na is Zion Pence, and he has the USB drive. Could you kindly bring it back for us?]
Tina’s boyfriend was from the computer science departnt and recently involved in a software developnt project. His roommate took the wrong USB drive that morning but didn’t have the ti to correct it because he had to catch a high-speed train. Coincidentally, Holly was dining nearby.
Holly quickly replied: [Okay, don’t worry.]
Imdiately after replying, she heard a gentle male voice next to her: "Excuse , are you Holly?"
Holly looked up and saw a young man standing before her, dressed in a white shirt and black pants.
He wore glasses with delicate gold fras and had a refined, scholarly appearance when he smiled.
"I’m Zion Pence, Jay’s roommate," the young man introduced himself.
He pulled a small black USB drive from his pocket and offered it to her, "Could you kindly take this back for ? I greatly appreciate it."
"It’s no trouble at all," Holly smiled politely, taking the USB and putting it into her bag.
Zion Pence glanced around the restaurant decor.
This restaurant was well-known in Beldon for its difficulty to book a table and high costs, not a place an ordinary student could easily afford.
"Are you eating here? Alone?"
Holly was still pondering the events that had just transpired, not much in the mood for chit-chat, but considering he was Tina’s boyfriend’s roommate, she smiled out of basic courtesy.
"No, I’m with a friend; he went to get the car."
Zion Pence allowed his gaze to rest briefly on Holly’s smiling face.
He had heard of the Academy of Ceramic Arts’ beauty, yet had never had the chance to et her.
Zion Pence: "Then I won’t disturb you two. Thank you very much for the USB. If there’s an opportunity next ti, I hope to invite you for a al."
Holly assud it was just pleasantries and didn’t take it to heart, responding out of politeness with a casual, "Sure, let’s arrange sothing if there’s a chance."
But imdiately after she spoke, she saw Blake Sinclair coming toward them.
He stood there, fixedly staring in her direction, his expression neutral, yet a low pressure surrounded him.
Zion Pence, noticing Holly’s unwillingness to engage in conversation, wisely said a few more polite things and turned to leave.
As he passed the entrance, he exchanged a glance with the man standing there.
Though they were strangers, that one look carried an air of superiority and scrutiny. Zion felt a chill on his back and quickened his steps away.
Holly got into Blake Sinclair’s car.
Inside, the air conditioning had already dispelled much of the heat.
Holly had fastened her seatbelt, but Blake Sinclair didn’t start the car imdiately.
He casually rested his hand on the steering wheel, gently tapping it.
Blake Sinclair’s mind replayed the scene he saw at the restaurant entrance.
Through the large glass window, he had seen the young man in the white shirt from afar.
They seed to be engaged in conversation, Holly even smiling at the man and placing what he gave her into her bag.
As he entered the restaurant, he heard the words "let’s arrange sothing if there’s a chance."
Dining?
Arranging?
Is that the man who caused her to be unsettled and distracted today?
Jealousy burned like wildfire in his chest, scorching him inside.
Even with the car’s air conditioning turned up high, he felt overheated.
Rationality was drowning in envy.
He turned his head to look at the girl beside him.
She was still bowed over, staring at her phone with a smile on her lips.
Blake Sinclair’s mind was already conjuring a scene of her chatting with that man from earlier.
He suppressed the tumult inside, telling himself to stay calm.
"Holly, you’re just a sophomore now; your primary task should be to focus on your studies. The upcoming Corinium Exhibition is an exceptionally important opportunity for you; other things can wait, there’s no need to rush."
Holly, who was complaining in the dorm group chat to Joy about her crush that never began yet was already over, felt puzzled by this unexpected academic advice.
She didn’t quite understand the sudden shift to discussing studies.
Blake Sinclair, seeing no response from her, assud she wasn’t absorbing his advice, growing increasingly irritable and finally unable to resist.
"That young man earlier," he chose his words carefully, trying to sound as objective as possible.
"He seed too young, perhaps not yet mature. At this age, boys can be unpredictable and might not understand how to handle responsibility."
Holly paused, then after processing, found it both amusing and frustrating.
Yet, deep down, there arose a faint sense of hope and joy.
Was he... jealous?
"Brother Blake," she tentatively asked, "You weren’t thinking that the person earlier was my boyfriend, were you?"
Blake Sinclair, exposed so directly, showed a hint of discomfort.
"I was rely considering it from a brother’s perspective. Dating isn’t impossible, but it should be thoughtful; you should inspect whether the person truly suits you, whether they are worthy of reliance. As your brother, I have the responsibility and duty to help you keep things in check."
Every ntion of "brother" and "responsibility" he uttered poured cold water again and again, extinguishing whatever tiny fla of hope that had just sparked in her heart.
Her heart, already sore and unhappy from his rejection, now felt even more stung hearing him repeatedly emphasize the "brother" role.
The irritation rose within her, provoking her to respond defiantly, "He’s not my boyfriend! Not yet, but who can say what the future holds?"
It was a retort, ant to counter his "brother watching over sister" attitude.
But to Blake Sinclair’s ears, it amounted to an admission of the possibility for developnt between her and that young man, even signaling her intent.
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