Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 182

Christopher turned his head to look at me, his deep eyes seemingly pulling me in.

Those eyes were too captivating. I thought Marlowe must have been drawn in the same way. If Marlowe had been more ambitious, they would probably be together by now.

That would have been a disaster.

I felt a wave of frustration.

Christopher was still trying to make conversation. "How long until we get the results from the Synergy Global Corporation investigation?"

"By tomorrow afternoon or the day after. Synergy Global Corporation has become increasingly complicated over the past two years. It will take some time. Once the results are in, I'll get them to you as soon as possible."

My response was lukewarm.

Anyone could see I wasn't in high spirits.

But no one could fault me; I was answering the question directly.

Just not enthusiastically.

Synergy Global Corporation was a company Lawrence had once wanted to partner with. If Lawrence was interested, there had to be some issues with their executives. Naturally, there would be some internal complications.

Christopher gave me a long look but didn't say anything more. He turned his gaze away from me.

After a while, I heard Christopher's steady breathing.

I glanced over and saw him resting with his eyes closed. He had fallen asleep at some point.

I drove smoothly and soon arrived safely at the villa.

Christopher was still asleep. His face looked more relaxed, less stern than usual.

If Marlowe saw him like this, the chances of a confession would probably increase. I almost wanted to poke his nose and ask, "What were you thinking, falling for Marlowe?"

I didn't wake him up. He worked too hard. I didn't have as much work as he did, and he had to make many decisions. If I felt tired, he must be exhausted.

Some people were naturally more energetic. He seemed to have more vitality than me.

I slowly adjusted his seat to make it more comfortable for him to rest.

Then I waited beside him, leaning on the steering wheel. I almost fell asleep myself.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of deep eyes staring at me. I immediately perked up.

Meeting his gaze, I said, "Mr. Collins, we're at your house."

In other words, since he was awake, he could get out now.

Christopher didn't move. Instead, his eyes roamed over me, his voice husky from sleep. "You're upset?"

"I'm in a great mood! Why do you say that, Mr. Collins?"

My eyes flashed, but I refused to admit it.

He must have seen me ignoring him at the company entrance earlier.

But as long as I didn't admit it, he couldn't do anything.

For some reason, he seemed determined to get to the bottom of it today. "Your whole face says, 'I'm in a bad mood, don't mess with me.'"

He was right.

But hearing it from him made me feel a bit embarrassed.

"That's not true!" I instinctively touched my face.

Then I froze under his gaze.

I thought I had gotten smarter. Paula even praised me. But in front of Christopher, I was exposed in a second.

Maybe because my smarts were all learned from him.

He asked, "Is it work-related?"

I shook my head, naturally denying it.

But I couldn't say it was because of Marlowe, since that was the person Christopher liked.

So I tried to change the subject. "I heard your interview today, Mr. Collins. Should I congratulate you in advance on being with the person you like soon?"

Christopher raised an eyebrow. "So that's why you're upset?"

What?

The dim car light must be playing tricks on me.

Why did it seem like he was smiling when he asked that?

Did he feel in control because he guessed my thoughts?

Too bad he guessed wrong.

"Of course not! As your neighbor and subordinate, I'm only happy for you."

Christopher's words made it sound like I was jealous...

Wait, did he really think I was jealous?

That would be a huge misunderstanding.

I quickly explained, "Mr. Collins, don't worry. I'm not jealous at all. In fact, I'll give you a gift and my sincere blessings!"

I didn't mind giving Christopher a gift.

But thinking about Marlowe as his wife made the gift feel unworthy and made me a bit upset.

I kept these thoughts to myself, feeling a bit stifled, unable to face Christopher.

Luckily, we were already at his house.

I habitually got out of the car to escape. "Mr. Collins, it's late. Get some rest!"

Then I headed towards my door.

"Melinda, I should remind you, this is your car!"

Christopher's words made me feel like he was laughing.

I was so embarrassed.

I thought, 'Laugh all you want. I'm used to being a source of amusement.'

I pretended not to notice his amused gaze, got back in the car, and waited for Christopher to get out before starting the engine to go home.

Christopher got out but didn't close the passenger door right away. He held the door handle.

"What's wrong, Mr. Collins?" I looked at him, puzzled.

Christopher's voice was clear and magnetic. "Just attend my wedding. No need for a gift."

"How can that be? Not giving a gift at a wedding would be embarrassing!"

I could already imagine Marlowe in a wedding dress, smugly saying, "Ms. Turner, how generous of you to come empty-handed to my wedding."

I'd want to hide at the wedding.

Christopher didn't look at me. He closed my car door and walked away, his back cold. I couldn't tell if he was in a bad mood or if it was just the chilly autumn air.

Did I say something wrong?

I replayed my words. I mentioned congratulating him and giving a gift.

Could it be that Christopher, being wealthy, felt insulted by my gift, or did he just dislike being contradicted?

Forget it!

Big shots thought differently from us regular folks. If I couldn't figure it out, I wouldn't dwell on it.