The three of them left the gym and got into the car. Darnell couldn't wait to ask about the situation in the aerobics room.
Zander silently handed him the phone and asked, "Are Basil and this woman together?" He usually didn't pay attention to entertainment news and knew little about such gossip. He was just guessing; otherwise, why would Darnell go to such lengths to catch them?
"No, they're not," Darnell gave him a look and said, "It's this woman who wants to get Basil."
"Really? Lettie is after Mr. Logan?" Cierra widened her small eyes in disbelief. This was the first time she heard this and couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
"Stop staring at me with those little eyes. I'm not used to it. Let's take off your makeup later," Darnell said. Everyone has their preferences, and honestly, Cierra's ugly makeup was quite an eyesore.
Cierra didn't care how she looked now and continued to ask, "How do you know Lettie is after Mr. Logan?" This concerned her job as a love manager. If Lettie actively pursued Basil, her task would still be completed, but why did she feel a tinge of melancholy? Such a good man—
Darnell didn't answer her. He simply swiped open his phone, selected the latest photo and video, and Cierra leaned over, "What did you capture? I want to see too."
Darnell quickly covered the phone screen against his chest. Just one glance confirmed it was an R-rated photo, "What are you looking at, kid? Go take off your makeup first. Too ugly to look at."
Cierra felt wronged.
The ugly makeup was clearly Darnell's work, but she still obediently took the makeup bag he tossed over, rummaging for makeup remover and cotton pads.
"How did you get this?"
"They were probably too eager. Didn't even notice the door wasn't properly closed," Zander said, pursing his lips. Having just seen the live action up close, even though he kept his eyes on the phone screen, he still felt uncomfortable.
"That trainer has a good body," Darnell said, swiping open his phone again, adjusting it so Cierra couldn't see and continued watching.
Zander freed a hand to push Darnell's head, "Be serious. Don't let those photos get out, or you'll get sued!" After filming, he had thoughtfully closed the door to prevent others from seeing the passionate couple inside. Normally upright, he would never have done something so unscrupulous if it weren't for Darnell. "Explain to me properly why you did this today when we get back."
Zander had always been gentle with Darnell, and this was the first time Cierra saw him speak sternly to Darnell.
"Got it. We have our reasons. Don't worry, if Lettie hasn't done anything outrageous, I won't let these photos see the light of day. At most, I'll just admire the trainer's physique. Ouch—"
Darnell didn't even finish speaking before getting punched!
"Is his body better than mine?" Zander couldn't hold back anymore. Darnell realized he shouldn't joke further. Smiling, he gently patted Zander's chest, "Just kidding. Look how angry you are. Usually, you generously tell me to look at other men, but it's all just lip service."
Cierra saw Zander take several deep breaths and thought Darnell was really fearless. The two were clearly a couple, but Darnell often loved to verbally provoke Zander, then pat his head and give him a sweet treat. Was this what they called husband training or bedroom fun? She didn't understand.
She doesn't understand.
The three of them returned to Darnell and Zander's home. Darnell helped both himself and Cierra remove their makeup, then they sat in the living room chatting. Darnell said, "Basil mentioned a few days ago that Lettie asked him to go back to our high school, probably to romantically confess under the night sky, but Basil refused."
Refused? How did he refuse? Cierra couldn't believe it but felt a sense of relief at the same time.
"So I'm sure this woman has bad intentions. Just now, Zander took photos of them naked, 'working out'," even the usually carefree Darnell couldn't bring himself to say 'having sex' in front of the innocent Cierra, so he had to say it vaguely. "Although she's not currently dating anyone, and no one cares about her private life, one of her targets is my friend, partner, and boss, and I won't allow that."
Cierra nodded. She understood what Darnell meant, but she felt conflicted. If Lettie truly got together with Basil and reformed, would it be so bad? She believed that a decent woman like Cynthia wouldn't write a story where a villainess steps over the bodies of men to ultimately conquer a perfect man, but why did she end up in a novel with such characters?
The first love that Basil had always longed for was now within reach. If he found out Lettie's true nature, would the blow be too much? What if he became utterly disheartened? She anxiously scratched her head repeatedly, making her hair look like a bird's nest.
"Silly child!" Darnell seemed to see through her thoughts and said gently, "I never said we should immediately stop them from developing their relationship, nor would I let Basil know what we found out today. I don't want to drive her into a corner. But if, and I say if, Basil can realize on his own that the person he loves is no longer his high school senior Allison, not Lettie, but someone else, wouldn't that be great?"
Darnell recalled that day on set when Basil saw Cierra happily chatting with Keon. His expression resembled that of a woman with a hormonal imbalance, making Darnell think it was very telling. Basil had always been a late bloomer in matters of love. It took him until his first year of high school to realize he had feelings for someone, and it's rare for a thirty-year-old to remain chaste. So perhaps it's normal and reasonable for Basil to be slow in realizing his true feelings, right?
He originally planned to run parallel tracks: one to prevent Basil and Lettie from getting together, and the other to help Basil realize his true feelings sooner. Suddenly, he felt that being such a considerate and selfless friend was really too hard.
"Mr. Logan has someone else he's interested in? Who is it?"
Seeing Cierra's incredulous expression, Darnell suddenly thought that by the time these two slowpokes started dating, his hair might already be turning gray!
