CHAPTER 18

Ariel was in charge of distributing headphones for translation to us. She placed them politely on my desk with a smile. Then there was Damon, who also got a nod and a smile. Damon, surprisingly, returned the smile and said, "Thanks." That signaled something special between Ariel and him. Ariel gave Damon another look, with surprise in her eyes. Even the most loyal woman couldn't deny Damon's good looks. Ariel was a young girl, blushing at his simple "thanks". It got me thinking, was she deliberately ignoring Damon because she was afraid that she might fall for him? The brief episode was soon over, and the meeting officially began. It was mainly about the joint development of the city and the surrounding developments. The city had been booming in recent years, with every market nearly saturated, so it needed to expand into new areas. I wasn't too familiar with these topics, so I spent most of my time lost in my own thoughts, apart from when I heard my dad, Damon, and Silas discussing them. After the meeting, my dad found me. "Eliana, what brought you here?" "I was bored at home, so I came," I replied. My dad knew I wasn't a fan of business and politics, so he was surprised to see me in such a situation. "Did you come with Damon?" My dad looked over at Damon, who was chatting casually with someone else. Despite his youth, he already stood out among the business moguls, "Yeah," I nodded. "Well, that's good. As his wife, you should attend some of these events to establish your position," my dad said seriously. Just then, Silas came over. "Long time no see!"

"Ah, if it isn't Mr. Coleman, we haven't seen each other in nearly half a year," my dad shook his extended hand, and the two old men started chatting enthusiastically. I took the opportunity to slip away and look for Ariel. She should be collecting her wages and preparing to leave, right? I searched all corners of the hall, finally spotting Ariel at the back door. She had already collected her wages and was waiting for a taxi. "Eliana!" She called out happily when she saw me. "Ariel, is this the place where you work part-time?" I hurried over and naturally started chatting with her. "Yes, it's my last part-time job for the summer. I'm planning to celebrate with a big meal with Joshua later!" Ariel eagerly invited me to join them. Without hesitation, I agreed. "Sure, but I wouldn't be intruding on your date, would I?" Ariel blushed. "What date? Just a meal together, you won't be in the way." Guys must love girls who blush, right? She looked like a pure pink rose, delicate and adorable. Since Ariel didn't mind, I joined her. Joshua was already waiting at the grill restaurant. He was surprised when he saw me quickly standing up. "Eliana, Ariel." "I ran into Eliana at work today and invited her to join us for a barbecue. I'm treating you today!" Ariel and I were arm in arm, like good friends. "Sorry, Joshua, for being the third wheel," I chuckled. Joshua quickly shook his head. "No, no, no, not at all. Please, have a seat!" Ariel and I sat on one side, with Joshua across from us. We ordered some food, and a grill was set up on the table with various ingredients. When Ariel found out I was also from the city College, she was ecstatic and we chatted about many things related to the city. Joshua grilled the meat for us, occasionally glancing at Ariel tenderly, and at me with some complex thoughts. Just as we were enjoying our conversation, Ariel's phone buzzed. She casually picked it up, it was a text. I glanced over. It was from Damon. He took the initiative to contact her. Seeing Damon's message, Ariel looked a bit nervous, surprised and confused. She didn't reply, just put the phone back down.

"Ariel, who was it?" Joshua asked with a smile. "Oh, just a marketing message," Ariel mumbled, with her eyes on her grilled pork belly, sounding a bit guilty. I gave Joshua a sympathetic look. Poor boy, who was still happily grilling meat and completely not aware the fact that another man was trying to get close to his girlfriend. For some reason, I decided to give Joshua a hint. "I'm off to the restroom," I announced. Once in the restroom, I texted Joshua. "Didn't you like the Panamera? Why didn't you take it the other day? You left the key at the door. Luckily the Starlight Estates has top security equipment. Otherwise, the car might have been stolen." After freshening up, I returned to the table. Joshua didn't dare to look at me, just kept grilling. I was acting like a wealthy woman trying to keep a handsome young man. Ariel, on the other hand, started to get distracted. Damon, seeing she didn't reply, called her directly. She jumped, hurriedly rejecting the call, and quickly sent a text. I didn't catch what she wrote. "Ariel, you can just block those spam calls." I suggested, pretending to be clueless. "Uh-huh, I know," Ariel muttered, placing her phone screen-down on the table. I don't know what Ariel replied, but Damon finally stopped bothering her. But this was only a temporary peace. Once Damon set his sights on something, he wouldn't stop until he got it. The barbecue was a mix of heavy emotions. After we finished, Joshua offered to drive Ariel and me home. I declined, "Joshua, you just need to take Ariel home. I'll take a cab. "All right, be safe, Eliana," Joshua looked at me awkwardly. "Don't sweat it." I stopped a taxi and waited until Joshua and Ariel hopped in another car. Then I called James to pick me up. About fifteen minutes later, James showed up. Seeing his serious yet loyal face, I sighed, "James, if only Damon could be at my service and arrive every time I call you." James's expression shifted slightly. After a moment, he asked, "Madam, do you want me to get in touch with Mr. Coleman right now?" i rubbed my forehead, "Just focus on the road, and don't talk." James nodded and drove me directly to Starlight Estates. I was wondering if my parents-in-law were still at home. Did Damon go home yet?