Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 174

Paula nodded. "You're getting sharper every day. The head of Vivid Views Magazine is tight with the editor-in-chief, and the magazine's success is mostly because of that editor. He's not the type to forget a favor, so of course, he wouldn't agree. After Marlowe got turned down, she took Christopher's interview report and jumped ship to Echo Magazine. But for some reason, that report never saw the light of day."

"Maybe it had some personal stuff about Christopher that made it unfit for publication?" Even if it wasn't published, it still got me curious.

Christopher was in his current position, and there had never been a report about him. He was still a hot target for major magazines, with big names always trying to get an interview, but he always said no.

He had made it clear he didn't do interviews. If another request came in, I could turn it down for him without even asking.

How did Marlowe manage to get Christopher to agree to an interview? Could it be... A thought flashed through my mind, but before I could grab it, Paula spoke, breaking my concentration.

"If it weren't for my connections with some old employees at Vivid Views Magazine, I wouldn't have known about this. But no one knows what the interview was about."

"However, that time did cause quite a stir because of the interview report. There were even rumors that Marlowe and Christopher might have had something going on. You know how people talk when a man and a woman are involved. But since they didn't have any further interactions, the rumors eventually died down. After all, no one ever saw them together."

Paula saw my wide-eyed, open-mouthed look of surprise and couldn't help but laugh. "Is it really that shocking?"

"I just never imagined that the upright Mr. Collins would have any scandals." It was hard to believe.

"Maybe you put Christopher on too high a pedestal. He's just a guy, and guys are naturally attracted to women! He's not a saint." Paula couldn't help but sigh.

It wasn't as serious as Paula made it out to be; I was just a bit surprised to hear this. Especially since the rumor involved Marlowe, which made it even more surprising.After all, Marlowe didn't have a good reputation around here.

As we were chatting away, Paula suddenly nudged me and gave me a look.

She glanced towards a table a couple of rows away, where a man and a woman were sitting. "Speak of the devil, we were just talking about her, and here she is!"

I followed her gaze and saw Marlowe.

She was wearing a fitted black turtleneck and a red coat, with her straight hair falling to her shoulders. I had always thought Marlowe was a strong, assertive woman.

But now, seeing her features together, she looked gentle and soft, not as strong as I had imagined.

Because my attention was on Marlowe, I hadn't noticed the man sitting across from her. Until Paula took another look at their table, I realized she wasn't looking at Marlowe.

Paula muttered, "The man sitting across from her looks familiar..."

From my angle, I could see who the man was. After her comment, I took a closer look.

I was also surprised and whispered to her, "It's Mr. Cook!"

Paula's eyes widened. "What are they doing together? Could Marlowe be hiring Mr. Cook for a case?"

Paula had more connections than I did, so if Jason and Marlowe had something going on, she should have known.

But since Marlowe managed to get Christopher to agree to an interview, it wouldn't be surprising if she knew Jason too.

I thought for a moment and replied, "Mr. Cook helped me with a case, and he turned down my dinner invite. If he's having a meal with Marlowe, it probably isn't business-related."

I had also heard from Fallon that Jason was too busy and declined all dinner invitations. This made me more certain it wasn't business.

If it was not business, then it was personal! This only confirmed that they knew each other privately and might even have a good relationship.

This guess didn't make Paula or me feel any better. I had a bad impression of Marlowe because of Quinlan, and Paula had seen her two-faced behavior, so she didn't like her either.

Paula couldn't help but comment, "Marlowe is really something, getting Christopher to agree to an interview, the only one, and now having dinner with Mr. Cook."

I nodded, she definitely had some skills.

The food started arriving, and Paula took a bite, but she seemed lost in thought.

Suddenly, she looked at me with wide eyes. "Do you think there's really nothing between her and Christopher?"

I was also unsure. After all, Marlowe was the only person Christopher had ever been rumored with.

But when I thought about the way Christopher looked at me with those deep, insightful eyes, as if everything was transparent to him, I couldn't believe he wouldn't see through Marlowe.

"Maybe they never dated?" But thinking about how love could make people irrational, I wasn't so sure. No matter how smart or logical someone was, once they fell in love, all bets were off.

Paula was also taken aback by my guess, then she winked at me. "Melinda, why don't you go..."

"Don't even think about it. I won't, I can't, I don't gossip, and I don't want to know!" In short, don't encourage me to ask Christopher about his private matters with Marlowe.

Seeing my reaction, Paula didn't push me. But she seemed fixated on the question.

She even guessed another possibility, the thought that had briefly crossed my mind earlier. "Could she be the one Christopher likes but can't have?"

This thought seemed to shock her, and she patted her chest. "If that's the case, my opinion of Christopher would change. It's hard to judge!"

Not just Paula, I also found it hard to accept. After all, Marlowe wasn't a great person.

Christopher was so perceptive, we could all see Marlowe's flaws. He should have noticed them too. But if he did and still indulged her, it would mean he was hopelessly in love.

"Maybe he just likes her type." I offered a weak explanation.

Paula couldn't help but scoff, "Then Christopher's taste must be off. Just look at her... It proves there's no perfect person. Christopher's flaw is his poor taste."

If Christopher really had someone he couldn't have, and he had helped me so much, should I help him too? When he talked about unrequited love, he seemed so sad and heartbroken.

As I was lost in thought, I didn't notice Paula waving her hand in front of my face.

Suddenly, she grabbed my hand, her expression complicated. "Melinda, your reaction is off. We're talking about Christopher's unrequited love, but you look like you're heartbroken. Don't tell me you actually..."