The drink from the cup slowly soaked into the carpet, leaving a dark stain.

Quentin stared at the mess, clicking his tongue in frustration. “Stephen, don’t worry. Tessa’s not that easy,” he reassured him.

Stephen stood motionless, his voice hoarse as he asked, “Did she really agree?”

Quentin paused before answering, “On New Year’s Eve, she saw you with Nancy, and you two were talking about getting a room together. Honestly, if I were in Tessa’s position, I wouldn’t have handled it well either.

“I think Tessa probably agreed just to get a reaction out of you, or maybe she was drunk and talking nonsense. It doesn’t really mean anything.”

“I didn’t…” Stephen’s voice faltered, the words catching in his throat. “I never said anything about getting a room.”

“Well, Nancy did,” Quentin replied. “And it sounded pretty much the same.”

There was a pause, the silence heavy between them.

Stephen took a moment to regain his composure. “I need you to do me a favor.”

…

As Tessa stepped out of Everbright Law Group after a long day, her eyes landed on a sleek white McLaren parked nearby.

It was Quentin leaning casually against the car, focused on his phone, clearly waiting for someone.

It was after hours, and he was right outside the firm-he had to be waiting for her.

She took a step forward, and just as she did, he looked up and noticed her. Flashing a bright grin, he made his way over to greet her.

“Tessa, you’re finally off work!”

“Quentin, are you looking for me?” Tessa glanced past him. “Where’s Naomi? Didn’t she come with you?”

“No, I came alone today,” he replied. “I needed to talk to you about something.”

“What’s up?”

“Well, Tessa, about New Year’s Eve…

I realized I wasn’t thinking clearly. Inviting Stephen was a mistake, and it made things awkward for

everyone. I owe you a sincere, el.ne

apology. I’ve made a reservation at a restaurant and would really like to make it up to you. Would you be willing to join me?”

Tessa frowned slightly. “There’s really no need, Quentin. I understand, and it’s all

in the past now. You don’t have to go through the trouble. I’ve already got other plans tonight.”

“What plans?” Quentin asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Um…” Tessa hesitated. She had

only come up with a quick excuse to politely decline, never expecting him for more details. She froze

to press

for a moment before replying, “I’m meeting some friends.”

“Are they male or female?”

She was taken aback. Wasn’t that a little too personal? It wasn’t really any of his business, was it?

However, since they had known each other for years, she didn’t want to come off too harsh, so she stuck with her little white lie. “Both.”

The moment Quentin heard there was a guy involved, Stephen’s brooding face immediately flashed in his mind. He knew he had to probe a little deeper- especially for Stephen’s sake.

“Tessa, besides me and Henry, do you have any other male friends? I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned anyone else. What’s his name? What does he do? How old is he? How tall is he? What’s his weight? Is he

good-looking? Do you have a

photo?”

Tessa felt a subtle unease creeping in. “Quentin, what’s going on? You’re acting a little odd today.”

Quentin forced a laugh. “I’m just looking out for you. We’re friends, right?”

She met his gaze, her expression stoic. “Did he send you?”

They both knew exactly who she meant.

As Quentin looked into Tessa’s sharp eyes, he instantly felt as if his secrets were

laid bare. He quickly averted his gaze, a pang of guilt rising within him.

Being a lawyer was truly intimidating. That gaze of hers seemed capable of seeing straight through him.

“No… How could that be? I came on my own to apologize. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

Tessa stayed silent, offering no reply.

Quentin pulled out a key and handed it to her. “Tessa, consider this my apology. It’s just a small token, but I hope you’ll accept it.”