Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Ryan’s charming eyes narrowed as he raised an eyebrow.
“Let’s have dinner together.
I’ll pick you up from work tonight.
I’ll make a reservation for wherever you want to eat.
”
Bella frowned, her patience wearing thin.
“I have a boyfriend, Mr.
Hoffman.
”
Ryan’s smirk only grew.
“I don’t even care that you had an ex-husband, let alone a boyfriend.
” He was always upfront about relationships—he cared about his feelings for the woman in front of him, not any societal norms or expectations.
“If you’re worried about being seen, we can go to my private villa.
My chef is as good as Michelin-starred ones.
I’ll have them prepare something special.
”
Bella raised an eyebrow, clearly uninterested.
‘Why isn’t my coffee ready yet?’ she thought, wishing for the drink to arrive so she could splash it in Ryan’s face and send him off into a reality check.
Just then, Ryan’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
“Excuse me, I need to take this,” he said, stepping away.
Bella’s eyes rolled inwardly.
‘Leave, for all I care!’ she thought, but as soon as Ryan stepped away, the coffee she had been waiting for arrived.
Before she could even take a sip, Ryan’s date walked over, her attitude oozing with arrogance.
She hadn’t heard the conversation between Ryan and Bella but was keen on one thing: Bella was the employee Ryan had asked the restaurant manager about.
The woman eyed Bella with disdain.
‘How dare a working-class woman try to seduce Savrow’s most eligible bachelor? I’ll teach her a lesson.
‘
“Hey, I’m warning you,” she started, her voice dripping with animosity, “Don’t even think about dating Mr.
Hoffman if you still want to work here.
”
Bella frowned, suddenly overwhelmed by the overpowering scent of perfume.
She was starting to wonder if Ryan even had a sense of smell.
“If I don’t do as you say, what are you going to do about it?” Bella asked, not even bothering to look up.
“I’ll file a complaint against you and get you fired!” the woman snapped, her voice high with indignation.
“Oh? The reason being that you’re upset Ryan talked to me?” Bella’s tone was dry.
The woman’s face flushed red with anger.
“You—!”
Bella leaned back in her chair, her smile cool and unbothered.
“Go ahead and file the complaint.
If you submit it to our general manager, the only response you’ll get is that you should get your head examined.
”
The woman’s face twisted in fury.
“Bitch!” she hissed, her jealousy and frustration boiling over.
In a fit of rage, she grabbed the coffee cup from the table, intending to throw it at Bella, but Bella was faster.
In the blink of an eye, Bella grabbed the cup before her and splashed the entire contents on the woman’s face.
The hot liquid ruined her makeup and stained her expensive dress.
The woman’s lips trembled, and she looked as though she might burst into tears.
Bella, unfazed, picked up a napkin and slowly wiped the drop of coffee from the back of her hand.
Then she flashed a bright, almost playful smile at the woman.
“I knew one of us would get hurt.
So in this case, I’d rather it be you.
”
Meanwhile, in the corridor, Ryan was answering his phone.
“Hey Justin, what’s up?” he greeted casually.
“It’s your mother’s birthday the day after tomorrow.
Come shop for a gift with me.
I don’t know what I should get her,” Justin’s voice came through.
Ryan chuckled, a bit dismissive.
“Oh, my mother treats you like her godson.
If you gave her a weed from the roadside, she’d put it in an antique vase.
Just buy her anything.
”
“No, come with me tonight to pick out a gift,” Justin insisted.
Ryan paused, his tone softening slightly.
“Maybe tomorrow.
I have a date tonight.
”
“You’re not going to back out, are you? Postpone it,” Justin replied firmly.
Ryan hesitated, his gaze drifting to Bella as she sipped her coffee.
“I already told her I wanted to have dinner with her.
How could I stand her up? That’s just ungentlemanly.
”
After a brief pause, Ryan’s lips quirked into a teasing smile.
“I won’t hide it from you.
I want to date your ex-wife.
”
There was a long, suffocating silence on the line.
“Hello?” Ryan looked at his phone to confirm the call was still active.
Finally, Justin’s voice came through, colder than ever.
“Are you with Anna now?”
