Chapter 23
So, it turned out that the passkey Giselle entered in the elevator that day when she went to see Donovan had actually come from Zachary.
“Your uncle is about to get engaged to my half–sister, right? So technically, that makes him my future brother–in–law. I just wanted to ask him for a small favor,” she replied, coming up with a casual excuse.
“What kind of favor?”
“It’s about my vet clinic getting shut down. I figured since he’s such a big shot in the medical industry, he’s probably close with the regulatory authorities. I was hoping he could pull a few strings.”
Even she felt that excuse was a bit flimsy. But to keep Zachary from suspecting anything about her and Donovan’s messy situation, this was the best she could come up with for now.
“Oh, that,” Zachary said breezily. “If you needed help with that, you should’ve told me earlier. I happen to be close with the son of the Health Bureau director. A simple phone call would’ve fixed it–you didn’t have to go to my uncle.”
“Yeah, I guess I was just desperate and acted recklessly. Besides, I didn’t even get to see him that day.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Zachary said with a chuckle. “He’s the CEO of a massive corporation–his schedule is packed, and he’s constantly flying all over the world. He doesn’t have time to deal with such trivial matters. Next time you need help, just come to me.”
Giselle took another sip of water and remained silent for a while. Then, she asked, “Zach, your uncle seems to care a lot about you, doesn’t he?”
Zachary smiled. “You can say that. He might be my dad’s brother, but he’s just like my own. We’re buddies and do almost everything together. As long as he doesn’t force force me to go into pharmaceutical research like him, I’ll do anything for him.”
A wave of mixed emotions washed through Giselle. Still, she said nothing and flashed a smile at him.
“Let’s eat. The food’s getting cold.”
Just then, Zachary placed the first slice of prime steak he’d just cut on her plate.
“This is considered our first date, right?” he asked tentatively. “I apologize for not treating you to a proper meal last time.”
Giselle looked up, only to meet his passionate gaze. Slightly uneasy, she looked away and nibbled at the steak.
“Zach, I brought the mountain bike you gave me last time. It’s in my trunk. Remember to take it with you later.”
Zachary paused, his fork frozen midair.
“What do you mean?” His expression darkened, his voice tight with anger as he continued, “If this model doesn’t suit your taste, just let me know. I’ll get you another one.”
“It’s not about that,” she said. “The bike’s too expensive. It’s around 15 thousand dollars! I can’t possibly accept it.”
Struggling to keep his composure, Zachary muttered, “Giselle, we’ve known each other for a while now. There’s something I don’t want to keep bottled up anymore, so I’ll just say it… I really like you. From the very first time I saw you, I fell for you.”
His eyes sparkled as he looked at her and continued gently, “But I didn’t want to go after you the way I used to with other girls–it felt too shallow. You’re just … like an angel. I was afraid I’d somehow taint you without meaning to-”
“Stop it,” Giselle couldn’t help but cut him off.
She’d known how he felt about her for a while now, so none of this came as a surprise. But hearing such over–the–top praise from him still made her feel a little awkward.
“Honestly, Zach, it makes me a bit guilty to hear that from you. It just means you don’t really know me,” she said. “I’m nothing like what you imagine. Once you get to know me better, you probably won’t even want to be friends with me anymore.”
He looked at her intently and asked, “Tell me, then. What is it that I don’t know about you?”
