"Paparazzo, huh—" Cierra drew out her words, making Basil feel that this girl was very endearing. He suddenly felt a bit at a loss. The beautiful woman before him seemed to effortlessly navigate the thin line between girl and woman, effortlessly shifting between the two.
"Mr. Logan, you don't mind if I hold your hand, right?" Cierra's face transformed into one of overflowing joy, the embarrassment from before replaced with admiring eyes.
Basil shook his head, indicating he didn't mind. He stared into her eyes, sparkling like stars, for a moment before abruptly looking away.
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes. Let's go; I'm a bit thirsty. Mr. Logan, would you mind buying me a drink?" Cierra playfully winked at him.
The two of them found a spot in the indoor plaza's coffee shop and publicly displayed their affection amidst the bustling crowd.
Cierra pushed her drink closer to Basil. "Want to try mine?"
She had ordered an ice cream soda, with cute lemon slices and bright red cherries decorating the rim. But Basil didn't focus on that; the cup had only one straw. Did this woman know that pushing the cup towards him like this had a certain implication?
Cierra had casually asked, not thinking much of it. However, when Basil didn't respond for a long time, she realized the inappropriateness of her gesture. Sharing a straw? Just the thought made her feel awkward. She awkwardly tried to pull the cup back. "Never mind, I'll drink it."
Unexpectedly, Basil reached out, covering both her hand and the cup, the warmth of his palm burning like fire against her smooth skin. He finally took a sip of her drink.
Cierra had started this, but now she was the one blushing, feeling uncomfortable.
"How about you? Would you like to try a sip of mine?"
Seeing through the woman's mild coyness, Basil, who was accustomed to wearing a cold expression, rarely showed a teasing glint in his eye as he deliberately posed this question to her.
"No, I like sweet things," Cierra quickly waved her hand to refuse.
Black coffee without sugar or cream—just looking at the dark liquid made her throat feel bitter.
"Too much sweetness is bad for your health," Basil casually reminded, seemingly unconcerned.
"Got it," Cierra responded vaguely, just humoring him.
"Uncle, you can be so annoying. Can't I order dessert?"
"..." Basil's stern expression softened bit by bit. He didn't know if it was because of acting for the paparazzi or because of her. "Go ahead!" he replied helplessly, feeling some of his usual principles being broken.
"Yay! Thanks, Uncle!"
Cierra jumped up happily and rushed to the nearby dessert counter, not realizing she had called him "Uncle."
Basil suppressed his irritation, feeling the veins on his forehead throbbing. Uncle! He was only thirty years old! How could she call him uncle? Was she mistaken?
*
After being fed and watered by Basil, Cierra let out a small burp, asking with a satisfied expression, "Basil, is today's task almost done?"
She realized that taking on this task for Basil had its perks. At least he seemed generous, spending freely on what they needed without a second thought.
Originally, when a love manager went on a task, any extra expenses had to be invoiced and reimbursed, with a limit on how much could be claimed per task. Any amount exceeding the limit would have to be absorbed by the manager themselves. But this time, she didn't have that problem at all.
Great! These working days were getting more and more enjoyable, making her almost forget that the task was actually to help Basil win Lettie's heart.
Basil looked at the contented woman in front of him, her earlier "uncle" still ringing in his ears. "Just a bit longer."
He couldn't understand how the world's perception of him as an outstanding, wealthy, young talent could be associated with being an uncle, especially since she was only about six years younger than him.
"Oh! Weren't the photos just taken enough?" Cierra felt so full she could float. "Director Han, tell me the next plan. Even if I successfully debut with this scandal, won't I become an obstacle in your relationship with Lettie, making this buildup a waste?"
The man didn't respond.
Cierra suspected he hadn't heard her question, so she asked again.
"I have my plans," the man said languidly, standing up and reaching out to take her hand. "Let's go. I'll take you home."
"Let's go, yay!" Cierra stretched lazily, inadvertently dodging Basil's outstretched hand. Basil's eyes darkened, and he silently retracted his hand, turning away.
Cierra tilted her head up, her smooth, beautiful chin slightly raised. Not forgetting to play her part, she threw out a perfect ending, "Thanks, honey!"
Basil shot her a sharp look, and she playfully stuck out her tongue.
Actually, she had originally wanted to say "Thanks, handsome."
