Chapter 355
William Stark’s expression hardened as he entered the office, leaning slightly on his cane. “I can see that. What I don’t understand is what you’re doing in my grandson’s office during business hours.
I swallowed hard but kept my composure. “I was just waiting for Brandon to finish his meeting.”
“Is that so?” His tone dripped with disapproval. “Young lady, this is a workday. People here have actual responsibilities, unlike some who apparently have nothing better to do than lounge around in offices that don’t belong to them.”
I took a deep breath. This was not how I’d planned to intofact with Brandon’s grandfather, but I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me either.
“Sir,‘ I said, testing the waters with the familial term.
His eyebrows shot up
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. “Mr. Stark. Would you like to sit down? You’ve been standing for a while, and I’d be happy to help you to the sofa.”
I moved toward him, but he raised his hand to stop me.
“Don’t touch me,” he snapped. “I may be old, but I’m not an invalid.”
“Of course,” I replied smoothly. “My mistake. Would you like some tea while you wait for Brandon? I’d be happy to prepare it for
you.”
William Stark observed me with suspicious eyes. “You think you can win me over with a cup of tea?”
I gave him a small smile. “Not at all, Chairman. I just thought you might be thirsty after coming all the way up here.”
He scoffed but didn’t refuse. Taking his silence as permission, I walked to Brandon’s private rest area where I knew he kept a
selection of teas.
When I returned with the tea tray, William was still standing, seemingly unwilling to make himself comfortable in my presence.
“I see my grandson hasn’t taught you proper office etiquette,” he remarked coldly. “This is a place of business, not your personal living room.”
I set the tray down carefully. “Chairman Stark, would you prefer that I leave? I can wait elsewhere if my presence is disturbing you.”
He studied me for a moment. “You have remarkably thick skin. Most people would have scurried away by now.”
I shrugged lightly. “I’ve found that running away rarely solves anything.”
I selected a few green tea macarons from the plate I’d prepared. “Would you like a macaron, Chairman? They’re quite good.”
“Do you always make yourself so at home in places that don’t belong to you?”
Hmm, it seems youre not hungry,” I said, ignoring his question. “That’s fine. I’m starving though, so I hope you don’t mind if I eat.
Without waiting for his response, I sat down and took a bite of a macaron, closing my eyes briefly in appreciation of the delicate flavor. “These are really delicious. Monica has excellent taste.”
When I opened my eyes, William was staring at me with an incredulous expression that had turned almost angry.
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Chapter 355.
“Who gave you the audacity to eat in Brandon’s office?” he demanded.
I swallowed my bite, coughing slightly as a crumb went down the wrong way. “Cough, cough… well, you did, Chairman.*
“I did no such thing!” His voice rose slightly.
“You refused the food I offered,” I explained calmly after recovering. In my experience, when someone declines food but doesn’t object to others eating, it’s an implicit permission. Besides, these pregnancy cravings are really something else.”
William’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of my pregnancy, but he quickly masked his reaction. I could see him reassessing me, perhaps wondering if I was more calculating than he’d initially thought.
The silence stretched between us, broken only by the sound of me enjoying another macaron.
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