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I thought I’d misheard.
But when I saw Davina’s hesitant expression, I realized Fletcher’s invitation was genuine.
Or maybe it was just out of politeness?
I didn’t want to be a nuisance, so I politely declined, “Thank you for the kind offer, Mr. Lynton, but I still have some work to handle. I’ll treat you next time.”
Fletcher wasn’t having it. “Even the busiest person has to eat, right?”
His voice inexplicably rose a notch.
It made me feel like I was being ungrateful.
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Davina, standing with her head down, murmured, “Fletcher, maybe Charlene really has something to take care of.”
See, the girl was upset now.
I stood there, waiting to see how Fletcher would handle it.
A
a moment, I heard Fletcher’s calm voice saying, “Vina has been with your company for over a month now. She must have caused you quite a bit of trouble, so I really should treat you to a meal to thank you.”
I immediately caught the implication in Fletcher’s words.
It seemed like he was repaying a favor for Davina.
Davina picked up on it too, and her pale face
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finally softened into a small smile. “Fletcher, you’re so considerate. Charlene, why don’t you just accept it?”
1
Her sincerity was palpable.
I felt a bit uncomfortable inside, but a sense of propriety still had to be maintained.
So, I reluctantly agreed to join Fletcher and Davina at the Western restaurant.
The restaurant had a refined atmosphere, with a pianist playing in the corner. The soft, flowing piano music eased the tightness in my chest.
But there was one thing I didn’t understand: in such a romantic setting, why was Fletcher, who could have enjoyed a quiet dinner with Davina, dragging me along as the third wheel?
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5 Points
It didn’t take long for me to get my answer.
Daphne stormed in.
When she saw me, the anger on her face quickly turned to surprise. “Lena… you… what are you doing here?”
Even Daphne knew that it was inappropriate for me to be here.
But Fletcher still insisted on bringing me along.
I casually chewed my steak and said, “Mr. Lynton and Ms. Bates are treating. How could I refuse their kind invitation?”
Daphne suppressed her anger, signaling the waiter to bring another set of utensils. Whether intentional or not, she sat across
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* PRNPRE
from Davina.
“Today’s young women…” she started sarcastically, glancing at Davina, “really are something.”
With a sharp ‘screech, Davina’s hand suddenly slipped, and the metal fork clinked loudly against the plate.
Her face alternated between red and pale as she tightly gripped the knife and fork, her fingertips turning pale.
It was quite embarrassing.
At that moment, Fletcher, calm as ever, casually served up his own freshly cut steak and smoothly swapped it for the one in front of Davina.
It was incredibly considerate.
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5 Paints
Davina blinked up at him with long lashes, flustered. “Fletcher, I can do it myself.”
She then nervously glanced at Daphne.
She looked like a frightened little rabbit.
I suddenly remembered the first time I met Daphne a long time ago.
We had gone to a buffet together.
At that time, she wasn’t as domineering as she was now, but her attitude toward me wasn’t exactly friendly either.
Throughout the meal, she ordered me around, telling me to grab this and that. It was during the season for crayfish, and because she said she liked them, I ended up peeling crayfish all evening.
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By the end, even my nails smelled like crayfish.
All I got in return was a “Well, at least you’re obedient.”
And throughout all this, Fletcher just sat across from me, quietly eating, not saying a word.
Now, in the same situation, he was cutting Davina’s steak right in front of Daphne.
“Letch, you really spoil her too much,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “She’s got hands, doesn’t she? Why do you have to cut her steak and serve her like that?”
At that very moment, Fletcher had just placed a napkin in Davina’s lap.
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Without missing a beat, he replied calmly, “You wouldn’t understand.”
Daphne was left speechless, her face clouded with irritation.
Not wanting to be dragged into this unnecessary conflict, I quickly changed the subject. “Daphne, the pan–seared cod here is really good. You should try it.”
Daphne glanced down at the fish fillets, already de–boned, and smiled. “At least Lena’s sensible,” she said, her tone cutting, “unlike some young girls who have no idea how to behave.”
The entire meal felt like riding a rollercoaster, full of tension and sharp turns.
Afterwards, the four of us stood outside the restaurant, the neon lights casting a cold
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glow. Daphne grabbed my hand and said, “Lena, why don’t you come to my place this weekend? Letch just added a yard with a lawn, and there’s a whole patch of bougainvillea in the backyard. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively looked at Fletcher.
His expression remained as indifferent as ever, his eyes as unreadable as the calm sea.
Of course, someone as aloof as Fletcher probably didn’t remember my preferences.
It was probably just a coincidence.
After saying goodbye to Daphne, the three of us were left standing awkwardly on the
corner.
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I shook my phone, “Mr. Lynton, my ride’s almost here. I’ll be heading off now.”
Fletcher gave a brief response, his voice barely a murmur, and didn’t say another word.
I turned and crossed the street.
I could faintly hear Davina’s apologetic voice, “I’m sorry, Fletcher. I wasn’t good enough… | couldn’t win your mom’s favor.”
I took a deep breath and forced a smile.
It was as if Daphne had ever really approved of me.
She was just using me as a pawn, that’s all.
But Davina at least had Fletcher protecting her, didn’t she?
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Thinking about Fletcher only added to my frustration.
Clearly, tonight I had been used as a shield for them.
Daphne and Fletcher were truly in sync.
But what gave him the right?
Did he think I was just an NPC without any feelings?
I was furious as I headed back to my place.
When I came out of the bathroom, I saw my phone blinking non–stop on the table. As I got closer, I saw the number flashing on the
screen.
I cursed my good memory–one glance, and I
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immediately knew it was Fletcher’s number.
What could he possibly want at this hour?
After hesitating for a few seconds, I finally answered the call.
“Have you made it home?” His voice was hoarse, tinged with exhaustion.
Feigning ignorance, I asked, “Who is this?”
There was a brief pause on the other end, then Fletcher’s voice came again, quieter this time, “Charlene, did you delete my number?”
Deleted–two years ago.
And I hadn’t saved it since.
It was the obvious thing to do. Fletcher was smart–he should have figured that out by
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now.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and asked, “Mr. Lynton, is there something you need?”
Fletcher suddenly went silent.
I had just returned from the wind, my headache was intense, and my patience was wearing thin. Since he wasn’t saying anything, I decided not to wait any longer. I spoke up, “If it’s nothing urgent, I’ll go ahead and rest.”
“Add me back on WhatsApp,” Fletcher finally replied, but his tone wasn’t pleasant.
At the sound of his voice, my hand froze, still pressed to my forehead.
Then I heard him say, “I can’t let your efforts go to waste today, Ms. Grande.”
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I understood.
He was thanking me on behalf of Davina.
But I wasn’t sure which specific thing he was
“ng to.
No matter what it was, though, I wasn’t about to turn down any benefit that came my
way.
I replied sweetly, “You’re too kind, Mr. Lynton. Please wait a moment.”
Before I could finish, the line was suddenly cut off.
A moment later, a transfer notification popped up. Fletcher had sent me another ten thousand.
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Right after that, a voice message appeared.
I was about to open it, but before I could, the message was retracted.
I thought for a moment, then sent Fletcher a bowing emoji as a thank you.
Suddenly, the heaviness in my chest seemed to lift a little.
All thanks to Davina.
The next day, I went to work as usual. When I entered the office, Aria at the front desk told me, “Charlene, Davina is in the meeting room. The meeting starts at 10.”
I was a bit confused.
When I got to the meeting room and saw Davina, she explained, “Charlene, don’t you
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remember? We agreed on the color scheme for the interface yesterday.”
She said it so naturally that Danica, who had just entered the room, overheard.
Danica was the head of our art department, a young woman who graduated from the Art Academy, about the same age as Davina.
She looked at me and asked, “Charlene, what does this mean?”
I had planned to discuss it with Danica once Kaitlyn returned, but now it seemed like the meeting had to happen immediately.
So, Davina, Danica, Sean, and I all entered the meeting room.
After hearing the report, Danica exploded. “I spent two whole months working on this
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interface, and now just because she says so, we’re changing it?”
Danica’s words were directed at me, but her frustration was aimed squarely at Davina.
I was about to explain when I heard Davina speak up, “This decision was made by me, Mr. Lynton, and Charlene together. Since you’re being paid, shouldn’t you be willing to make the adjustments?”
Her soft tone carried an unmistakable undercurrent of authority and dominance.
Danica looked incredulous. “What’s this supposed to mean? Just because you invested money, you think that makes you special? It’s not that I’m unwilling to make changes, it’s just that pink is tacky. Do you understand?”
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Davina’s face turned bright red as she retorted, “Without the funding, this project wouldn’t be possible at all.”
Hearing that, I inwardly cursed, and before I could stop her, I saw Danica stand up. “Whoever wants to do it can do it, I’m done!”
I quickly tried to intervene, but then I heard the sound of Davina sobbing.
Turning around, I was taken aback–she was actually crying.
Sighing, I handed her a tissue and said gently, “Davina, I know you’re just trying to look out for the project, but we’re all part of the same team. We should be careful with how we speak to each other.”
Bringing up Fletcher might have been a form of intimidation, but the cohesion of a
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company didn’t come from external pressure -it should come from the genuine passion each member had for the work.
Just like Danica, who willingly worked overtime at home every day, driven by her love for the project.
But Davina retorted, “So Charlene, you think I was wrong too?”
I could only comfort her, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
After this, a strange sense of tension seemed to hang over the entire office.
In the afternoon, I called Danica and suggested we meet downstairs at the café.
“Charlene, you know how much I care about this project,” Danica said, sounding both
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aggrieved and righteous. “But what about her? Davina’s just a student, trying to play cute in front of Mr. Lynton. But when it comes to work, how is she even qualified for the role of game planner? And now she wants to meddle with my work?”
I tried to calm her down. “Aesthetic preferences differ from person to person, but Mr. Lynton has already given his approval. We can take the best parts and discard the rest. And I believe with your skills, this is just a small problem, right?”
Danica sighed and looked at me. “Charlene, I’m doing this for your sake. You know our interface is fine.”
I finally relaxed, but as I lifted my gaze, I spotted Fletcher and Davina standing not far
away.
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C
I didn’t know when they had arrived or how much they had overheard.
Fletcher’s face was dark, while Davina bit her lip, her eyes filled with tears.
A bad feeling rose in my chest.
The next moment, I heard Davina choke out, “Charlene, is this how you both see me?”
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