Chapter 20 Young And Promising

"Yes, I know her," Pierce confirmed without hesitation as if they had known each other for a long time.

Pierce looked at Eliz's hazel eyes. They sparkled even without beaming a smile. At the table, they sat opposite each other; hence, when they looked up, they faced each other directly. Pierce noticed Eliz's fair skin blushed automatically as their gaze met. Her innocent face intrigued Pierce and sent unknown sparks of emotion to his manhood. He smiled when she blushed and thought, 'This woman is shy.'

"Miss Navarro is so young and promising! She is the youngest surgeon at our hospital. We should not underestimate her!" Tyler remarked to help Eliz build her confidence. As a man himself, he had immediately noticed Pierce's overt interest in Eliz.

Eliz felt more uncomfortable when Tyler praised her and built her up before Pierce.

'What's the matter?' she thought to herself. She kept her silence. Flustered, she bowed to hide her poker face while biting her lower lip. Her mind boggled, 'What's going on here?' She took a deep breath to release the tension so she could think clearly. She speculated, 'Could this dinner be an ambush?' Her paranoid thoughts were put to a halt when the waiter served all the dishes with five bottles of Château Lafite-Rothschild 1982, an overly expensive wine usually served on special occasions. When she smelled and saw the sumptuous meal, Eliz stopped spoiling her night with baseless assumptions. She occupied her mind with her food. She was starving, so she kept herself busy eating. She was embarrassed and hungry, yet she displayed finesse and grace despite the awkward situation–evidence of a cultured lady.

"Mr. Aleotti, thank you for your investment in San Raffaele Hospital. On behalf of our team, I sincerely thank you," Tyler said to break the silence. He stood up and proposed a toast. Everyone raised their glasses accordingly.

"You should thank Miss Navarro. She did a great job with my uncle's surgery," Pierce said with a smile after draining his glass.

"Thank you, Mr. Aleotti," Eliz said with a faint smile on her beautiful face. She blushed again but much less now. Perhaps the wine had helped to calm her nerves.

One of her colleagues proposed a toast, "To Miss Navarro!" The crowd cheered as they raised their glasses again.

Eliz swept her eyes to her colleagues with a sweet smile and slightly bowed with gratitude. Everybody was happy for her except Audie. His face was expressionless. He gave her a cold look from his seat, instead of standing up to join the others for a toast. It did not bother her at all. Since she had arrived, he had given her an unwelcoming stare, a good thing she was used to his arrogance and dislike of her. The dinner had a jovial conclusion. Everyone had a great time except Eliz.

"Are you guys free for the rest of the night?" Pierce asked when the waiter served their dessert.

Eliz sighed discretely with disappointment. Just when she thought she could go home already, Pierce was about to propose another irresistible invitation.

"Yes!"

"So am I." There was an unspoken agreement among her colleagues. Even a fool could understand what Pierce implied in his question.

He was about to invite them for a post-dinner fete. For what it was worth, who was Pierce? Even people who had prior commitments would be willing to cancel them for Pierce. It was a privilege and a rare opportunity. The women seemed to be delighted at the thought that they would be spending more time with him.

"Why don't we go to the KTV together? It's also at the hotel," Pierce proposed. "Since we are here already, we should have a good time. This one's on me," he offered.

Eliz wanted to stand up and say that she had something else to deal with, but when she saw Tyler's joy and excitement, she didn't want to burst his bubble, so she held back the words she wanted to say.

Pierce had reserved a luxurious private room with two floors. He sat on the shiny leather sofa on the lower floor. Several female doctors flocked around him. They devoured his presence with their shameless foxy looks directed at him.

Eliz stayed in the room for a while as a courtesy. When she couldn't take it anymore, she found an excuse to go out to breathe some fresh air.

'Even the air was infected by Pierce!' Eliz found herself on the rooftop after treading a dark corridor with bright neon signs as the only source of light. The night breeze touched her face, and her hair danced with the cool wind. The air smelled musty because it had been raining in Milan for several days. Just like her restless heart...Wet, gloomy, and desperate for sunshine. As long as her father was locked up in the police station, Eliz could not sleep well or have peace of mind. Fortunately, she was a strong person who could stand great pressure. She had to work hard to support their family in the future.