Chapter 22
After leaving Kane Pharmaceutical Group, Giselle got into her car and meandered down the road.
Recalling her passionate encounter with Donovan earlier, she drifted into thought, her gaze growing unreadable.
Over the next two days, Giselle threw herself back into work, trying to clean up the mess in her career.
She first paid nearly two million dollars in compensation to appease the customers, then hired a lawyer to handle the ongoing lawsuit. Finally, she had to deal with the issue of reopening her veterinary clinic.
With the news of the pet deaths spreading all over the internet, her clinic’s reputation was completely ruined. There was no salvaging it. She had no choice but to change her clinic’s name and start over from scratch.
However, her existing shops were still under forced closure and regulatory inspection. Even if the issues were mostly resolved, the scandal had caused too much damage. Getting approval to reopen would take a long time.
One afternoon, when Giselle was sweating it out on her treadmill at home, her phone rang.
Slowing her pace, she grabbed the phone and looked at the screen. It was Zachary calling.
She answered the call right away. It turned out that he was asking her out to dinner.
Ever since the last time they went mountain biking together, they hadn’t seen each other. She’d been overwhelmed with problems, while his schedule was tight. After all, he had to be ready to retum to Usna anytime to continue his studies.
Considering that he’d helped her quite a bit and had just returned from Usna, she agreed to hang out with him.
She was drenched in sweat after her workout. After taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, she put on some light makeup before heading out.
This time, she was dressed more casually in a white fitted crop top and wide–leg denim jeans. With her flawless skin and great figure, even this effortless look made her exceptionally mesmerizing.
Dinner was at an Agatonian restaurant downtown–peaceful and tucked away despite being in a bustling area.
When she arrived, Zachary was already waiting nearby.
At a place where the average meal cost 10 thousand dollars per person, parking was never an issue. The servers welcomed them politely as they stepped inside, basking in the soft and serene lighting.
Through the open kitchen, they could see chefs in crisp white uniforms cooking elegantly. The ambiance and service were top–tier.
Led by a server, the two were brought to a private room on the second floor that had been reserved in advance.
Thanks to Zachary’s boyish charm, interacting with him was never daunting.
“Didn’t you just go back to Usna not long ago? Why are you back again so soon?” Giselle asked, sitting down.
“Well, I’m graduating soon,” he replied. “My dad wants me to get some experience in the company, so coming back to Valanthea more often is definitely going to be the norm now.”
Born with a silver spoon, Zachary had been studying abroad since middle school. He’d received years of elite education and even skipped grades, earning a master’s degree at a young age.
“You’re pretty impressive with your studies, huh? You actually got into MIT,” she remarked, trying to make conversation.
She herself had grown up overseas too, but due to her family issues at the time, she hadn’t been focused on academics and only ended up at an average university. Elite universities had never been an option for her.
Zachary let out a helpless sigh. “Only because my family was so hard on me. I’m the only grandson of this generation, so everyone’s eyes are on me. It’s exhausting!
”
“But your family’s really wealthy,” Giselle said. “Your parents should’ve had a few more kids to ease the pressure on you.”
“Well…” Zachary’s voice trailed off, his expression turning grim. “Back then, I actually had an older sister.
“But she died in an accident when she was ten. After that, my mom couldn’t have any more children…”
“Sorry,” she said quietly, realizing she’d touched a nerve.
“It’s alright.” Zachary shrugged. “It’s been almost 20 years. My family’s more or less moved on. Honestly, I just wish my uncle would hurry up and get married, so he’d give my grandma more grandkids. Then I’d be off the hook!”
Hearing him mention Donovan, Giselle felt somewhat uneasy. She took a sip of water to mask her discomfort. ”
But right then, Zachary asked, “By the way, was there something important you needed to see my uncle about when you asked me for the passkey to his office the other day?”
