Mr. Logan was already married, but Nora, relying on her past connection with him, brazenly served him food right in front of his wife. Any woman with a bit of self-respect would never do such a thing.
Perhaps men might find such an act of feigned innocence appealing.
But the women around certainly did not.
Moreover, they all quite liked Clara. Initially unfamiliar with her, after a few days of interaction, they found Clara to be a kind-hearted and gentle girl. In the office, she was quiet and unassuming, never using her status as Mr. Logan’s wife to boss them around.
“This is delicious,” Ethan said suddenly, placing a dish on Clara’s plate.
She was taken aback, surprised by Ethan’s gesture. It made her feel unexpectedly cherished.
Clara took a bite and smiled sweetly, saying, “Yes, dear, it’s really good.”
Her cheeks flushed.
Ethan glanced at Clara.
Clara’s face turned even redder. She felt a bit guilty inside.
She suspected that Ethan had seen through her little scheme.
Yes, she had done it on purpose-calling Ethan “dear” and praising the dish he served her-to provoke Nora.
Why should Nora be allowed to provoke her without any retaliation?
Where was the fairness in that?
The secretaries around them wore expressions of surprise.
So it turned out that Mr. Logan and his wife were so affectionate in private.
Who would have thought that the seemingly emotionless Mr. Logan would serve his wife food?
Nora could no longer hold back. She put down her fork and said, “I’m going to the restroom.”
With that, she turned and left the table without waiting for a response from the others.
In truth, no one paid her any mind.
In the restroom, Nora looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes red. If she had stayed at the table any longer, she would have burst into tears.
She didn’t want to cry.
She didn’t want Clara to see her cry.
Her pride and dignity wouldn’t allow it.
Nora took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then she took out her makeup bag, touched up her makeup, and walked out of the restroom only to see Daniel standing nearby.
Daniel looked at Nora.
Nora looked back at Daniel.
Though they said nothing, both understood the current situation well.
It wasn’t looking good.
Ethan and Clara were flaunting their affection in front of Nora to provoke her.
And Clara seemed indifferent towards Daniel, as if she didn’t care at all… Even though Ethan treated him with disdain, Clara hadn’t said anything or even sent an explanatory message on WhatsApp.
Daniel felt uneasy inside.
Ethan was indeed an outstanding man, one who could easily captivate women. Daniel was genuinely worried that Clara might fall for Ethan… With such a remarkable man by her side every day, it wouldn’t be hard for Clara to be drawn to him and fall in love.
He felt anxious now.
The longer Ethan and Clara spent together, the slimmer his chances became.
Daniel and Nora passed each other without exchanging words.
Nora returned to her seat, having composed herself.
She knew it wouldn’t be easy to win Ethan’s heart back again.
She was prepared to endure any embarrassment or difficulty Ethan might throw her way.
She had loved Ethan for so many years; only someone as exceptional as he could match her. No matter what, she wouldn’t give up on Ethan.
Unless she died!
She wasn’t afraid of death.
She was only afraid that Ethan wouldn’t love her anymore, afraid that she’d never have another chance to be with him in this lifetime.
“Clara…” Nora said with a smile to Clara. “I ran into Daniel in the restroom earlier and chatted for a bit… So Daniel is your neighbor?”
Could this be fate?
Even going to the restroom led her to meet Daniel.
“Yes,” Clara nodded.
Nora smiled and asked, “Has Daniel always been this handsome since childhood?”
Clara looked at Nora, unsure of what she meant by this question. From the way Nora spoke… it seemed like she was interested in Daniel. But wasn’t Nora supposed to like Ethan?
Why would she show interest in Daniel?
“Yes,” Clara nodded again.
Nora smiled and said, “Having such a handsome neighbor must make you very happy.”
She couldn’t refute it.
It was true.
During those years when she secretly admired Daniel, she genuinely felt happy… She had a crush on Daniel, and Daniel treated her well and took care of her… Back then, she often stood alone on her balcony, secretly watching the Wen family next door and smiling foolishly…
Although she no longer had romantic feelings for Daniel now, recalling those days of secret admiration still felt sweet and wonderful.
Ethan glanced at Clara.
Clara stiffened slightly.
Did Ethan see through her thoughts?
Nora’s gaze shifted between Ethan and Clara.
She lowered her eyes slightly and curled her lips into a subtle smile.
Now… she understood.
She roughly grasped why Ethan was so opposed to Daniel.
It was because of Clara.
With a neighbor like Daniel… it was likely that Clara had once liked him. That was why Ethan disliked Daniel so much.
And such an important detail-Daniel had never mentioned it to her before.
Daniel only said he liked Clara but never mentioned that Clara might like him too.
If Clara also liked Daniel, then this situation… had much more potential for manipulation.
She couldn’t rush things.
Take it slow.
After finishing their meal, the group left the restaurant. At the entrance, they ran into Daniel and his group again; they were also leaving after paying their bill.
It felt somewhat awkward.
“Clara…” Daniel called out with a smile.
Clara: “… Daniel.”
Ethan gave Clara a cold glance.
Clara knew Ethan wasn’t pleased, but there was nothing she could do. She had no choice but to endure Ethan’s threatening gaze that only she understood.
Clara thought perhaps they shouldn’t have come to this restaurant today; if they hadn’t come here for dinner, they wouldn’t have run into Daniel.
“Where are you headed next?” Daniel asked with a smile directed at Clara.
Clara: “… Home.”
Daniel: “Oh. By the way…” He looked at Clara and said with a smile, “I ran into your grandma in the neighborhood yesterday while she was out for a walk. We chatted for a bit; your cousin is getting married.”
Clara nodded: “Yes… she’s getting married.”
Daniel smiled and asked, “I remember she had quite a fiery personality, like a tomboy who feared nothing. When we were kids and she visited during summer vacations, she was the leader among kids in the neighborhood…”
Clara really liked this cousin who was about to get married because of her strong-willed nature and sense of justice. When they were kids, if neighborhood children disliked Clara and called her names like ‘jinx’ for preventing her mother from having sons, her cousin would stand up for her and fight them off.
“Yes,” Clara smiled and nodded. “My cousin is still very cool. I heard from her that her fiance is a very gentle man.”
Daniel thought for a moment and laughed: “Yes, thinking about it now, someone with her personality should indeed find a gentle partner. If she married someone with an equally fiery temper, they’d probably fight all the time.”
Clara considered Daniel’s description and nodded with a smile: “That’s very likely.”
Daniel continued sharing amusing stories about her cousin from the past…
And Clara responded accordingly.
The two chatted happily like this.
Nora watched as Daniel and Clara enjoyed their conversation and then glanced at Ethan’s increasingly cold expression.
She smirked inwardly… Let them chat away.