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Christian didn’t take it. He simply stared, expression cold.
Gavin, unfazed, shifted his attention to Ivy. "Is he the one you wanted to be dropped off to the party for?"
Ivy smiled. "Yes."
Christian’s eyes widened the moment he heard Ivy had come to the party just for him. Surprise flickered across his face before happiness took over. His gaze lingered on her, as if trying to confirm he had heard correctly.
Gavin, standing beside him, dropped his hand but maintained a polite smile. "I’ll leave you two alone then. Have a great night."
With that, Gavin disappeared into the crowd, leaving Christian to turn fully toward Ivy, excitement still written all over his face.
Christian, on the other hand, was entirely focused on Ivy. His happiness was evident as he asked, "Did you eat anything? Do you want something to drink? Wait here, I'll bring it for you."
Without waiting for a response, he rushed to the table to grab drinks for her.
Ivy turned her head slightly to hide the smile tugging at her lips. Just moments ago, he had been sulking in drunken jealousy, and now, it had vanished in the blink of an eye.
***
The next morning, as Ivy stepped out of the car to head into her office, she turned to Christian, "Don't come to pick me up this evening. I'm going to my parents' house for the weekend and will be back on Monday."
She spoke nonchalantly and started walking away immediately.
But Christian grabbed her hand at once, stopping her in her tracks. With a swift pull, he turned her back toward him. His gaze was intense, a frown settling on his forehead as his fingers tightened around her wrist. His other hand reached up, touching her face.
"Can I come too? I can stay there with you, and we can come back home together on Monday."
Ivy shook her head, smiling. "No. I’ll be going alone, and you need to take care of your work." She tilted her head slightly. "You’ve been picking me up and dropping me off all the time. Isn’t the workload exhausting?"
Christian constantly worked from the car, attended meetings in between, and still insisted on being the one to drive her to work and return home together. He was already drowning in work, and this weekend break might only add to it.
Christian’s frown deepened, clearly displeased, but after a pause, he nodded. "Okay, then I’ll come in the evening to drop you off at your parents’ house."
Ivy shook her head again. "I’m not sure when my work will be over. I’ll go on my own, it’s alright."
Christian’s expression darkened. He looked so disappointed that Ivy almost gave in. But before she could change her mind, she gently pulled her wrist from his grasp and turned away.
Christian didn’t let go. Instead, he yanked her back and leaned down, pressing a deep, lingering kiss against her lips.
When he finally pulled back, his voice was a low murmur against her lips. "I’ll wait for you at our home."
Ivy nodded, giving him a small smile. Reluctantly, he released her, watching as she walked into the building and disappeared from his sight.
That evening, Ivy sat across from her parents, enjoying dinner together. Patty, having brought out all of Ivy’s favorite dishes, took a seat beside Adam and observed Ivy with a warm smile.
As Ivy ate, Patty watched her with a satisfied smile. "You look so much better now," she remarked out of the blue.
Ivy paused mid-bite and lifted her head to look at her mother in question.
Patty smiled. "How is Christian? How did you meet him, by the way?"
Ivy bit her lip, and then looked up at her parents. "He was my boss when I was interning at Evans Holdings. He was at that office for a few months, but then he had to leave for overseas. We reconnected recently, and he asked me out."
Patty nodded approvingly. "He seems like a good man."
A soft heat crept up Ivy’s face, and she gave a small nod. "He’s alright."
Later that night, as she settled into her childhood bedroom, she dialed Christian’s number. Her mother wanted to knit him a sweater and had asked for his measurements.