?Chapter 978:


    Outside the restaurant, Ethan stood stunned, his mood plummeting. Through the ss door, he noticed diners ncing at him, and he felt utterly humiliated. Why should he be the one to leave?


    Rather than walk away, he made up his mind to go back inside. He wanted to see for himself if Brenna truly liked that man. He pushed the door open and walked back in, finding a table diagonally across from Brenna’s. Conveniently, it had just been vacated.


    “Waiter!” he said, waving impatiently. He ordered several dishes at once. Brenna red daggers at Ethan, but with him quietly eating instead of causing trouble, she had no reason to drive him away. Even so, frustration simmered just beneath her calm exterior.


    Thankfully, she had nearly finished her meal. With a final bite, she set her fork down and turned to Darwin. “I’m done eating.”


    Darwin put his fork down and raised his wine ss. “Cheers.”


    A quick nce at Ethan revealed a face flushed with envy, and the sight brightened Brenna’s mood. She clinked her ss with Darwin’s.


    After finishing their drinks, they stood up and left the table.


    At the cashier, Darwin said with a smile, “Today’s lunch was a pleasure. Allow me to get the bill.”


    Brenna did not protest, allowing Darwin to pay.


    When Darwin was paying the bill, Brenna sneaked a nce back at Ethan. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and they both quickly looked away. She felt embarrassed at being caught staring at him at the exact moment he looked her way.


    “Miss Harper, I’ve got work to handle this afternoon. How about I pick you up after work and we have dinner together?” Darwin suggested.


    “Sounds perfect,” Brenna replied without hesitation. She wanted Ethan to feel exactly what she had felt—seeing someone he cared about getting close to another person.


    Darwin dropped Brenna off near the Mitchell Group building.


    With a gentle tone, Brenna asked, “Are you sure this is okay? Will you have enough time to go back?”


    Darwin motioned toward a high-rise down the road. “That’s the Summit Tower over there. My office is inside, and it only takes a couple of minutes by car. Really, you’re not putting me out at all.”


    G  al  no vel s . holds tales worth reading


    Anyone in finance knew the Summit Tower by reputation. It stood tall among venture capital firms and financial giants, a ce Brenna recognized well from her own work in the industry.


    “Alright then, I won’t keep you here any longer,” Brenna said. After watching his car slip away into traffic, she turned around and made her way into the building. Alec approached her as soon as she entered. He had been watching her and Darwin since they had stepped out of the car, though he had refrained from approaching earlier to avoid irritating Brenna.


    “So, who was that with you? Brenna, are you really about to end things with Mr. Mitchell?” Alec asked.


    Brenna’s answer was sharp, and she had no desire to clear anything up for him. In fact, she saw no point in exining anything to him.


    “It’s none of your business!” she retorted bluntly.


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