Revenge is best served cold

I stared at Eric in shock, completely unprepared for him to show up at my office.

Forcing down my panic, I tried to keep my voice calm. "You left work early today?"noveldrama

I hadn't even gotten a chance to hide...

Eric's expression was serious. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have caught you. How long are you planning to keep avoiding me?"

My heart skipped a beat. I quickly denied it, saying, "I'm not avoiding you, I've just been really busy."

At my words, a trace of hurt flickered across his face, and his tone softened. "You promised to take care of me... My shoulder has healed now, but you still don't have time for me."

Seeing him like this, a wave of guilt washed over me. The urge to avoid him vanished in an instant.

"I..." I opened my mouth, but no words came out. A mess of emotions swirled inside me. "I'm sorry..."

Eric stepped closer, his eyes locking on mine. "Sorry for what?"

I wanted to look away, but his deep gaze pulled me in. Slowly, I whispered, "I shouldn't have buried myself in work while you were recovering."

And I shouldn't have been so selfish, avoiding him for so long. I finished the rest of the sentence in my head.

Seeing me answer so obediently, a satisfied smirk flickered across Eric's face. He pressed further, saying, "Then can you promise me something? Don't disappear on me like that again. Do you have any idea how lonely it gets in that huge villa all by myself? I was so bored I almost invited Levi over just to argue with him."

I had been feeling guilty, but when I heard that, I couldn't help but laugh. The tense atmosphere shattered instantly.

I nodded, my voice sincere. "Alright, I promise."

I decided to just go with the flow.

Avoiding him forever wasn't a solution. Maybe the best way to deal with this was to face it head-on. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that Eric had somehow tricked me into this. I just couldn't figure out how

He must have noticed my confusion because the amusement in his eyes deepened.

Then, his gaze shifted, landing on the invitation on my desk. He picked it up between his fingers and raised a brow. He looked at me and asked, "Are you going?"

I nodded and asked, "Aren't you?"

Eric chuckled. "Of course. If you're going, then I am too."

As if suddenly remembering something, he grinned and asked, "Are you attending

as the heiress of the Brown family or as Mrs. Flint?"

I tilted my head and smirked. "Only kids choose. I'm an adult. Obviously, I'll be both."

That was what I said, but when the night of the gala arrived, I attended as the heiress of the Brown family.

Eric and I hadn't publicly announced our flash marriage yet. If we were to show up as a couple that night, we would have probably stolen the spotlight from the gala.

As soon as stepped into the

banquet hall, Elise spotted me. Her

eyes lit up, and she practically.

bounced toward me. "Jane! You

made it! I was worried you'd be too busy to come."

She looked me up and down, her face full of admiration. "Wow, Jane, with looks

like that, you'd totally make it big in the entertainment industry."

I chuckled helplessly. "Funny, I don't remember you complimenting me like this last time."

Elise playfully winked. "Well, we had just met. couldn't just blurt that out, could ? Besides, you always look so serious at work. I was too scared to say anything."

I laughed at her teasing.

It was only then that I noticed the person standing beside her. "And this is..."