I didn’t accept his offer right away. Instead, I asked, “Mr. Grayson, you aren’t solely interested in my work. Am I right?”
Ethan looked a little surprised by how straightforward I was, but he regained his composure very soon. “That’s right. Your designs are outstanding, but you’ve caught my attention.” At that moment, I felt as though he could see right through me.
He continued, “You’re talented and determined. You’re tenacious and resilient. I appreciate that.”
I never thought he’d say that about me, and I didn’t know how to respond.
“Thank you,” I told him. “Pardon my abruptness, but I think things aren’t that simple. It’s so sudden that you want us to collaborate.”
“Oh?” Ethan lifted an eyebrow. “What do you think I have in mind then?”
I took a deep breath, mustering my courage. “You suddenly showed goodwill. Was it because of… our past?”
My cheeks burned when I posed the question. Our past wasn’t particularly pleasant, after all.
“Are you saying that I’m trying to get close to you under the guise of a collaboration?” Ethan asked.
He hit the nail on the head, rendering me speechless and making my cheek burn even more. He was so straightforward that I didn’t know how to respond.
“Evelyn, you’re overthinking it,” said Ethan with a helpless smile. “It’s purely business that I asked to collaborate with you. You don’t need to be concerned about the past.”
He continued, “Besides, it’s all in the past now. We have our own lives to lead, don’t we?”
I felt a flurry of emotions upon hearing his words. I was beyond the pain and regret I once felt, so I shouldn’t be overthinking it. Why should I assume that he still had feelings for me? Relief flooded me now that I had thought it through.
“If that’s the case, I happily accept
your offer, I said, pretending to be calm and unperturbed. “I have a condition, though. It’ll be just_ business between us. You can’t take advantage-”
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“Don’t worry,” Ethan said, cutting me short. “I promise there’s nothing but business between the two of us. I won’t do anything out of bounds. Does that ease your mind?”
I nodded in relief. There wasn’t anything I should be worried about anymore since he gave his word. As impulsive as he was, he was a man of his word.
“I look forward to working with you,” he said, extending a hand to me.
I didn’t hesitate. We shook hands.
This time, I wouldn’t become the Evelyn of the past who followed his every order. I wanted to start all over with a new identity, one of which was as a confident and independent designer. After we discussed our collaboration for a while, I still couldn’t calm down.
On one hand, was glad that I now had a huge company like Grayson Group as a business partner. But on the other hand, I was rather unsettled to learn that Ethan and I would need to spend more time together for the upcoming project.
Kevin and Lianne were waiting for me and staring at me expectantly when I finally returned to the dorm.
“How was it?” Lianne asked eagerly.
I inhaled deeply before telling them both about what happened at the café.
“He sounded logical. I didn’t sense anything off about him,” I noted. “But somehow, I feel like there’s something behind his words.”
Kevin asked, “Are you sure you aren’t
just overthinking it? He’s the acting president of Grayson Group, and his every move is under the scrutiny of the media and the public. Surely, he wouldn’t risk his company’s O reputation.”
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