Chapter 24: The Same Model
The next day, when I saw Davina at the office, her face was pale, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.
She was already petite with fair skin, but now she looked like a frostbitten white rose–frail and lifeless, evoking pity.
Kaitlyn sent me a screenshot from Davina’s WhatsApp Status. It showed a solitary figure from behind, accompanied by the text: Your understanding only exists because no one truly cares about you, right?
Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow, her tone gossipy: “Could it be a lover’s quarrel?”
I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. After all, it hadn’t been long since she and Fletcher got
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together.
I wondered if it had something to do with the kiss mark on my neck.
Davina remained in this state until the afternoon.
Just as Kaitlyn was messaging me, suggesting I go comfort her, the studio door
swung open.
Fletcher walked in, carrying afternoon tea.
Everyone casually greeted him, as they were accustomed to his visits. He nodded briskly before heading straight to Davina’s office, his pace hurried.
“Fletcher, what brings you here all of a sudden?”
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He handed her a cup of hot cocoa. “It’s hot cocoa. Drink it as soon as possible.”
Davina’s weak voice responded, “It’s just my period, Fletcher. You’re overreacting.”
The office door wasn’t fully closed, and their conversation drifted out clearly.
So, it was just her period.
A while later, the two emerged from the office. Kaitlyn struck up some small talk with Fletcher, while Davina, looking pale and feeble, handed out the afternoon tea to everyone.
When she reached me, she smiled warmly. “Charlene, there’s only hot cocoa left. Hope you don’t mind.”
I wasn’t a fan of sweet drinks.
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“Thanks,” I replied while typing away, “I’m not into sweet stuff. You can keep it.”
No sooner had the words left my mouth than I heard a sudden crash.
A
cup of hot cocoa had been flung, without warning, directly onto my laptop!
The liquid exploded from the cup, flooding my keyboard in an instant. It splattered onto my fingers as well.
I froze, stunned, before scrambling for tissues. But it was already too late.
The laptop let out a few desperate beeps before the screen went black.
“Charlene, I’m so sorry, I just…” Her soft, trembling voice hovered near my ear. “I just
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wanted to give you-”
“You wanted to?” I cut her off, my tone rising sharply. “Even kids know to keep electronics away from liquids.”
My hard drive contained countless important files.
For a programmer, a laptop was everything.
I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore.
“Charlene…” Davina’s sobs were uneven as she looked at me with reddened eyes. “I really didn’t mean to.”
The commotion drew the attention of
everyone nearby, including Fletcher, who had been speaking with Kaitlyn.
He walked over, his brows furrowed at the
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sight of Davina’s tear–streaked face.
Kaitlyn, noticing the drenched laptop, gasped in shock. “Who’s so careless to spill it on Ms. Grande’s lifeline?”
Hearing this, Davina lowered her eyes and bit her lip, trembling slightly.
Kaitlyn immediately covered her mouth, startled.
Oh, Davina, I’m so sorry…”
“It’s all my fault, Davina murmured through sobs, glancing at me with a timid, apologetic look. “Charlene, please, scold me more if it makes you feel better.”
I was momentarily speechless.
What did she mean by “scold me more“?
I had merely spoken with a sharper tone, and
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now it was being exaggerated into scolding.
“It’s alright, Fletcher handed Davina a tissue, his voice soft with concern. “It was just an accident. Don’t cry.”
Davina’s eyes turned even redder, brimming with fresh tears.
At that moment, I realized that to Fletcher, Davina’s fragile emotions outweighed the fact that my laptop–a vital tool for my work -was ruined.
If he had paid even a little attention, he might have noticed that the cocoa–soaked laptop was the very one he had gifted me years ago.
Perhaps he had forgotten.
Or maybe he chose not to remember.
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The thought chilled me, an icy wave surging from my chest to the base of my spine.
Davina’s voice interrupted my spiraling thoughts. “Charlene, it’s all my clumsiness. Why don’t you send me the model? I’ll buy you a new one to make up for it.”
She spoke earnestly, with an attitude so apologetic it seemed refusing her would be a crime.
I couldn’t possibly reject such a sincere offer, could I?
With a measured tone, I replied, “You might need to ask Mr. Lynton for the model. After all, it was his gift.”
Davina froze for a moment, visibly caught off guard, and turned to Fletcher, her expression
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uncertain.
Fletcher clearly hadn’t anticipated my response. A cold shadow passed over his brown eyes as he retorted, “It’s just a laptop. Ms. Grande, must you make such a big deal out of it?”
Just a laptop.
So he truly didn’t remember–or didn’t want to.
My teeth clenched as anger flared in my chest.
Pointing to Davina’s desk, I shot back, “Then just get me a rose–gold one, the same model. Mr. Lynton, since you have such impeccable taste, it’ll save me the trouble of choosing.”
Fletcher seemed momentarily at a loss for
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words, stunned by my bluntness.
As for Davina, the one who started it all, her face turned red in embarrassment.
The atmosphere grew unbearably tense.
Sensing the awkwardness, Kaitlyn quickly stepped in. “While it was an accident, the laptop is indeed ruined. Considering Davina’s still a student, how about the company covers the difference in cost?”
Davina’s eyes widened in bewilderment, her lips trembling as though she wanted to speak but stopped herself.
“No need,” Fletcher interjected decisively. “Just follow Ms. Grande’s suggestion. I’ll handle it.”
“Fletcher, Davina exclaimed anxiously, “this
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isn’t right. How could I let you spend so much…
“Oh, Davina, let’s just go with it” Kaitlyn interrupted with a smile. “You’re really lucky, you know.”
Turning to Fletcher, she asked, “Shall we head directly to the mall, Mr. Lynton?”
She more straightforward than
- me.
as certainly
So, Fletcher, Davina, and I found ourselves at the mall.
The shop owner glanced at the
water–damaged laptop and sighed. “The motherboard’s ruined–it’s beyond repair.”
I hadn’t expected it to be salvageable, but with critical files stored on it, I needed to
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ensure there was no risk of a data breach.
Fletcher cut straight to the point, pointing to a rose gold laptop priced at $19,999. “Wrap this one up.”
His decisiveness left the shop owner momentarily stunned. After a pause, the owner suggested, “Sir, there’s an upgraded version available for just $2,000 more.”
Fletcher turned to me immediately, as if seeking my input.
Before I could respond, the owner added, “Your girlfriend works in IT, right? In this field, a good laptop matters most. Go for the top–tier one.”
Suddenly, Davina spoke up. “Fletcher, since the owner says so, let’s get Charlene the upgraded version.”
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The shop owner’s eyes darted between the three of us, his expression laced with curiosity.
Fletcher looked at Davina and said, “Alright, we’ll go with that.”
After Fletcher swiftly paid, the owner beamed. “What should I do with this one?” he asked, gesturing toward the ruined laptop.
Since it was mine, I quickly decided. “Please just toss it in the trash for me.”
I offered a quick excuse, grabbed the new laptop, and left.
Back at the office, everyone’s eyes lit up when they saw the rose gold laptop.
Aria sighed enviously, “I wish Davina would
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spill coffee on my laptop tomorrow morning.”
Kaitlyn teased, “Keep dreaming!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at their banter.
As I was wrapping up work, Adeline called.
“Lena, there’s a comic convention at the
exhibition center tomorrow afternoon. Want
to come check it out?”
I wasn’t particularly interested but felt bad refusing after all the effort she’d put into clearing up the photo scandal for me.
“Come on, it’ll be fun,” she urged. “And who knows? Once your game launches, you
might need to host similar offline events. Consider it a learning experience.”
That reasoning won me over.
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After discussing it with Kaitlyn, I accepted Adeline’s invitation.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was the afternoon of the comic convention. As promised, I arrived at the exhibition center.
The moment I stepped in, I was greeted by a group of cosplayers gathered at the entrance, each in striking and unique costumes that immediately caught my eye.
Among them were several characters from popular online games–refreshing and full of energy.
I walked while glancing around, and my gaze finally settled on a male cosplayer draped in a pitch–black cape.
His head was adorned with a black mask
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that revealed only his sharp jawline, his eyes calmly fixed ahead.
A small crowd had gathered around him, drawn to his presence. He looked like a stunning figure straight out of a poster.
Oddly enough, he bore a striking
resemblance to one of the male protagonists
in our game.
My heart skipped a beat, and before I realized it, my feet moved toward him of their own accord.
As I got closer, the cosplayer noticed me. Our eyes met, and a faint tremor flickered in his pupils. His gaze softened with a trace of warmth.
Where had I seen him before?
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“Do I look that good?”
The gentle voice caught me off guard. Startled, I blurted out, “Winston?”
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