She wailed like a young girl, and Nick chuckled. “I like you more now than when we first met. You have more vitality.”
Their first meeting was at a job interview. She was like a stagnant pool of water; her design is vibrant, but she seemed lifeless.
Now, she seemed alive.
Callie paused, recalling that time.
Nick sighed. “Alice, smile more. You look beautiful when you smile. I really like it.”
The atmosphere and his words felt somewhat overstepping. Callie shrank back instinctively, trying to avoid him. “I… I know.”
But Nick kept looking at her, his gaze intense. “Alice.”
“I’m thirty this year. I haven’t been around many women, you know that. Sometimes, when I return to an empty home, I wish there was someone to talk to.”
“Before meeting you, I never worked so harmoniously with anyone else. You understand my ideas, and I understand your ambitions. We make a strong team, both professionally and personally, don’t we?”
Hearing such serious words made Callie uncomfortable; she instinctively resisted.
She laughed awkwardly. “You are my boss, so naturally, I follow your lead.”
Nick also laughed. “I don’t know what you’ve been through in the past, nor do I know what kind of man Grape’s father was to make you uninterested in anyone else. But I want to say that I’m very interested in you-in a way that involves a future.”
This was crossing a line, truly crossing a line.
Callie didn’t know how to avoid it; she felt flustered. “I… I, um, I’m tired.”
“Alice.” Nick grabbed her wrist, forcing her to look at him. “I came to Switzerland not just for work but more for you.”
“Give yourself a chance, and give me a chance.”
“I really like Grape. I’m willing to be her father so she doesn’t have to wait until she’s eighteen.”
“You should think about her.”
With that, Nick saw Callie’s silence and said no more. He stood up, tidied up the trash around her, and left quietly, closing the door gently behind him.
The room fell into silence, leaving Callie alone in a daze.
Should she try to accept someone new? She had never thought about it and didn’t dare to.
But Nick was right about one thing: she should think about Grape. She came into the world unfairly and shouldn’t miss out on more during her growth.
Yet, she still occasionally thought of that man’s figure, always wondering what if it were him? What if he knew?
“Callie, you’re simply crazy,” she murmured softly.
The next morning, Nick indeed came to pick up her and her daughter on time. He was as elegant as ever, as if he had forgotten what he said last night and didn’t force Callie to respond.
“The work today will take all day. Thank you.” Nick escorted Callie into the hotel conference room.
Grape nestled in Nick’s arms and echoed, “Thank you, Mommy.”
A warm feeling surged in Callie’s heart, and she waved with a smile.
As she turned around, Nelson entered through the main door with Anthony by his side.
The first to notice was actually Grape. She lay on Nick’s shoulder, her eyes darting around before settling on Nelson. “Daddy!”
She quickly covered her mouth; she meant to say uncle but accidentally called out daddy.
Nick was also startled and turned to see Anthony clearly. “Mr. Patel?”