Lydia instinctively wanted to decline, but Mrs. Ford seemed to anticipate her response. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other,” she said. “I still remember when you were just a little girl, and now look at you. You’re not going to get distant with me, are you?”With Mrs. Ford putting it that way, Lydia couldn’t refuse without seeming ungrateful, so she reluctantly agreed.After hanging up, she realized she hadn’t asked if Eugene would be attending the charity gala, and a wave of regret washed over her. She wasn’t eager to see him again. But now that she had accepted, calling back would feel too deliberate. Sighing, Lydia murmured to herself, “I guess it’s better to just clear the air when I see him.”Meanwhile, at the Ford family’s living room, Mrs. Ford set down the phone and looked over to the side. “I’ve made the call for you. The rest is up to you.” sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Findηøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Next to her sat a man dressed in a dark gray outfit, his silver-framed glasses and casual clothing giving him an approachable look, yet his eyes were too sharp, too calculating. Even in something as simple as loungewear, there was an underlying air of danger about him. A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Little Lydia, we’ll be seeing each other again soon, won’t we?”Lydia debated for a while whether or not to tell Quincy about Mrs. Ford’s invitation. She didn’t want to make him worry unnecessarily. But not telling him would feel suspicious. All her hesitations vanished, though, when she accidentally noticed a gold-embossed invitation on Quincy’s desk.”Are you planning to attend this charity gala too?” Lydia asked, raising an eyebrow.Quincy paused mid-motion, catching the “too” in her question. “You said *too*?””Mrs. Ford invited me to go, and I agreed,” Lydia admitted, watching his face closely for a reaction. “Are you upset?”At first, Quincy felt a flicker of discomfort, his mind flashing back to that encounter at the record shop, where Eugene had mouthed something as they passed each other. It left a bad taste in his mouth.But Lydia’s voice brought him back to the present. His eyes cleared, and he smiled. “If you’re going, then it works out perfectly. I’ll go with you.”Seeing that Quincy wasn’t upset at all, Lydia suddenly felt a little dissatisfied: “Quincy, be honest. Do you ever like me? How can you stay so calm when someone’s obviously interested in me? Don’t you ever get jealous?” She leaned in resting her hands on the table, her body slightly tiltedforward in a posture that claimed dominance. Quincy had to look up to meet her gaze, putting him at a slight disadvantage. But he didn’tmind. .He leaned forward too, matching her closeness, his voice lowering to a deep, seductive tone. “What if I told you I’m very jealous?”His words, paired with the natural depth of his voice, sent a shiver down Lydia’s spine. The sensation tickled her ears, and she wasn’t sure if she had heard him correctly.Seeing her reaction, Quincy leaned in closer, his lips brushing her ear.But instead of speaking, he lightly bit her earlobe.Lydia jumped back instantly, her ear turning a deep shade of red. “You’re doing that again!”Quincy grinned, his eyes full of teasing warmth. “As long as it works.”His playful gesture effectively sidestepped her question, leaving her more focused on his playful nibble than on his feelings of jealousy. And Quincy, intentionally or not, never brought the topic up again.Two days later, a luxurious yachtwas docked at the harbor, its decksfilled with elegantly dressed men and women. Champagne glasses clinked as laughter and conversation filled the night air, the light reflecting off the glasses in a kaleidoscope of colors.
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