Was his sudden rejection somehow connected to Hadley’s fleeting glance? No, that was impossible.

Megan gave her head a sharp shake, banishing the paranoid thought. Eric was demonstrating his affection for her, and every indication suggested he was genuinely embracing their relationship.

While waiting for the new order, Eric’s fingers found his glass, rotating it in slow, distracted circles. His peripheral vision remained fixed on Ernest’s side of the table. Ernest and Hadley continued their conversation while each elegantly managing their meals. Nothing about their interaction suggested romantic intimacy.

“Alright.” Ernest nodded with decisive authority.

“I’ll instruct Quentin to monitor the situation closely.”

At last, their business discussion reached its conclusion.

“Eat up.” Ernest indicated toward her plate with a subtle nod.

“Your food will lose its warmth soon.”

“Okay.” Hadley acknowledged with a grateful nod. Having been completely absorbed in their conversation, she hadn’t paid much attention to the flavors. Now, as she tasted her food, she found it rather uninspiring and murmured under her breath, “This needs more seasoning.”

Her comment was barely audible, and Ernest remained oblivious to her complaint, still concentrating on his plate. Eric’s gaze flicked toward Ernest, who displayed no awareness of Hadley’s dissatisfaction. Wasn’t Ernest being somewhat inattentive to Hadley’s needs?

However, he had no business critiquing Ernest’s behavior. He stretched across the table, grasped the salt shaker, and extended it toward Hadley.

“Here.”

Hadley’s eyes widened with surprise, her lips parted slightly. She extended her hand to accept his offering.

“Thank you so much.”

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“My pleasure.”

In that precise moment, both Ernest and Megan raised their heads, becoming unwitting witnesses to the intimate exchange. Ernest’s lips curved into a knowing smirk as he caught Megan’s eye with a meaningful glance.

Megan’s heart lurched with sudden panic. She forced herself to act as though she had witnessed nothing, as if the moment had never occurred. She lifted her glass to her lips and took several deliberate sips, using the action to compose herself.

After setting down her glass, she managed to arrange her features into a bright smile as she addressed Eric.

“Oh, I nearly forgot to mention—my father is returning from his business trip next week.”

Before she could complete her thought, an uncomfortable silence descended upon the entire table.

In the suffocating silence, Megan pressed forward with her words. Since she had started this conversation, she wouldn’t back down now.

“My mom brought this up the other day,” Megan said, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her napkin.

“She said when my dad gets back, we should find a time for me to bring you home for dinner.”

Eric’s Adam’s apple bobbed visibly as he furrowed his brow, clearly caught off guard.

“And what did you say to her?”

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