Rewriting My Heart's Fate

I quickly followed Ethan into the backseat after the car door was opened.

The engine roared to life, and the car sped off, heading toward our destination-the Grayson Group's branch office in Englenor.

"Welcome, Mr. Grayson, Ms. Wiley!" A tall, handsome man greeted us with a cheerful voice as we entered the Lendora branch office.

"Hello, I'm Charles Hopkins, the head of the Lendora branch." He extended his hand warmly and shook hands with Ethan in a friendly manner. "Welcome once again! I'm sure you'll both love it here!" Charles had a charming appearance and exuded an elegant demeanor. He spoke in a polished Lendora accent that felt refreshingly pleasant.

From what Ethan had told me, Charles came from a royal aristocracy and had received the finest education from a young age. He studied business at Barnett University and graduated top of his class. After graduation, he leveraged his exceptional business acumen and family connections to establish a successful career in Lendora. Now, he had been handpicked by Ethan to oversee the branch's operations. "Charles, it's been a while." Ethan nodded at him. "We're here mainly to assess the initial operations of the branch and also to find a suitable place for Evelyn."

At this, Charles shifted his gaze to me. For a moment, he froze.

It took him a beat to snap back into reality, but when he did, he flashed a broad smile. "No problem, Mr. Grayson. You can count on us! I've prepared the most lavish office for both of you. I'm sure you'll be impressed." With that, he gestured for us to follow him as he led us into the main hall.

I trailed behind Ethan, busy taking in the impressive office space. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something about Charles's gaze toward me felt off. It made me slightly uncomfortable.

"Evelyn, what do you think? Are you satisfied with the place?" Ethan's voice cut through my thoughts.

I snapped my attention back to him and nodded. It's... quite nice. The office environment is great, and the facilities are excellent." I chose my words carefully, hoping I wouldn't say anything that might upset him.

Ethan replied with a soft hum and didn't comment anything further.

Charles, however, smiled and chimed in, "Of course! We've invested heavily in the renovations The idea was to surprise Ms. Wiley, but it's not quite finished yet. We weren't expecting you to arrive so soon."

QUA

"Not quite finished?" I was taken aback. "But everything looks fine, doesn't it?"

"Well, on the surface, yes." Charles shrugged, looking a little helpless.

I nodded in understanding. No wonder I had felt something was off since we entered. It turned out the renovations weren't fully completed yet.NôvelDrama.Org content rights.

"Charles, what areas needed improvement?" Ethan asked suddenly. "I'd like to see what you've done so far."

Charles seemed momentarily taken

aback by the question. He forced a smile and replied, "Mr. Grayson, the design plans are still in progress. We've hired the best designers in Englenor, but as you know, their temperaments are... unpredictable.

"They keep changing their minds, making it difficult to finalize anything. Without approval from headquarters, I can't make any final decisions."

He then added, "Since Ms. Wiley is here, perhaps she could offer some input and provide some valuable suggestions?"

Hearing that, Ethan shifted his gaze to me, looking pensive. A wave of unease washed over me under his intense stare. Unknowingly, I swallowed hard.

How could a Grayson Group's lead designer like me possibly get involved in decorating a branch office? Wouldn't that undermine my professional reputation?

"I-I think I'll pass on this," I said, awkwardly forcing a smile. "Charles, you're in charge here. Feel free to make whatever decisions you think are best. You can handle it."