"Ouch—"
Curtis sucked in a breath from the pain, looking up and narrowing his eyes, "Kota, are you trying to kill your husband?"
"If you dare blow our cover and let everyone know about our relationship, you'll be the first one I kill!"
"Have you bought the five billion wedding gift?"
"No."
"So you want to be a widow?"
"Inheriting your assets would be the same thing, wouldn't it?"
"..."
"And I could spend even more."
Dakota answered confidently, each word making it hard for Curtis to counter.
"Fine." Curtis gritted his teeth, "Tonight, I'll write a will making you the primary heir."
"Well, you're not so bad then." Dakota smiled.
Curtis was almost laughing in anger, "Kota, you haven't been home for a week, and you still think you're right?"
"Why should I go home?" Dakota glanced at him, "We agreed it was just for show. When we're not performing, I do whatever I want. What business is it of yours?"
Curtis: "..."
His dark eyes grew deeper and sharper before he scoffed and leaned back, "Fine."
It was his own fault for thinking about her all the time.
He even wondered if this woman might have feelings for him since she always stole kisses when drunk, thinking about perhaps taking their marriage seriously, but she was doing just fine.
What a one-sided crush.
She was just a drunk female hooligan.
It was all a facade.
"Come home with me tonight." Curtis's voice was low.
Dakota's expression turned incredulous.
Her eyes shimmered, and she looked at him suspiciously, "Curtis."
Curtis raised an eyebrow, inviting her to continue.
Dakota leaned closer, observing him thoughtfully, "You aren't actually starting to like me, are you?"
Curtis paused, holding the teacup.
He slowly lifted his eyelids, tapping the side of the cup with his fingertip, "...Are you crazy?"
"You suddenly bump into me at the mall, invite me to dinner through Noe, and now you want to bring me home."
Dakota analyzed on her own, "Did you know I was signing a contract at the National Museum today and guessed I'd be shopping at this mall, so you set up this chance encounter?"
Curtis: "..."
With mixed feelings, he took a sip of water from the teacup.
"Pineda Gou, you're done for. You've fallen in love, but I'm destined to be the woman you can't have."
"...You're thinking too much."
"You're already nervous enough to start drinking water."
"...I was just thirsty."
"Really?" Dakota looked at him skeptically, "Then why did you suddenly invite me back to the marital home?"
Curtis put down the teacup, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, which were throbbing and aching, not understanding Dakota's train of thought.
"I wasn't—"
Curtis opened his eyes to explain, but Noe's loud voice came from outside the private room, "Where are we? Lailah, which room are we in?"
"Over there." Lailah rolled her eyes.
Noe responded like a rooster, "Oh oh," as their voices drew nearer. Dakota kicked Curtis again, "Don't talk to me during dinner."
Curtis: "..."
He drew another sharp breath, veins standing out on his neck. The bite marks on his jaw and collarbone had faded, but was this woman a woodpecker or something?
Kicking more holes in his leg, apparently.
……
When Lailah and Noe returned, the atmosphere in the private room was odd.
Dakota and Curtis didn't seem to have taken the opportunity to fight, but there was a sudden chill after what felt like a heated exchange, leaving one unsure what exactly was off.
"Cough."
Noe clenched an empty fist against her lip, feeling that these two were really a headache, and tried to shoulder the burden of social responsibility and open up new topics for everyone present.
"I'll tell you a juicy gossip about Jasiah. He was recently cheated by a girl again!"
"Hmm?" Lailah looked up with her chopsticks in her mouth.
Although Curtis and Dakota didn't pay him any mind, there were people at the table interested in the topic, so Noe began to tell the story vividly.
He was always the most lively one among the group.
Like a loudspeaker.
Willing to sell out his good friend to liven things up.
He recounted how Jasiah met the girl at a bar, how Jasiah mistakenly thought the girl harbored feelings for him, and how he became overly attentive due to this misunderstanding, only to find out in the end that it was all in his head.
Lailah: "I'm dying of laughter. He's been in enough relationships, how could he still misunderstand someone liking him?"
"No harm done." Noe waved his hand, "Beauty can deceive. I don't think the girl ever did anything, it was purely his own wild imagination and self-concocted scenarios."
But while Noe was telling the story, Curtis wasn't listening.
He never cared for gossip, so he leaned back lazily and sent Dakota a message on the phone.
"Beep—"
Dakota's phone beeped.
She looked up and saw Curtis lifting his head slowly, subtly indicating her phone with his gaze.
Dakota felt strangely like she was up to something sneaky.
She glanced at Noe, then Lailah, before stealthily looking at the message on her phone.
【Puppy】: Go home tonight.
【Dakota】: Should I listen to you?
【Puppy】: Not to our place, Dad wants you to come to the Pineda family dinner tonight.
Dakota's brow furrowed lightly.
Not to our place?
So it was her misunderstanding earlier?
Embarrassing!
【Dakota】: Not going.
【Dakota】: Unless you try to persuade me.
【Puppy】: ...
Dakota held her face with one hand, smiling smugly as she looked at Curtis with gleaming eyes.
Curtis narrowed his deep-set eyes at her.
They shared a silent stare.
As if playing a game of covert communication right in front of Noe and Lailah.
Curtis... "Hey, Curtis! Are we continuing the inspection later?" Noe suddenly turned to look at him.
Curtis instantly reined in his gaze.
Dakota reacted quickly, lowering her lashes and happily picking up her chopsticks to grab some food.
"No." Curtis glanced at Dakota again, "There's some personal business today. Go back and finish that ideological report for your dad."
Noe had been sent by his father.
It happened that Curtis was going out to inspect investment projects, so Noe's dad had him come along to learn, which is why he was here with Curtis.
"Alright." Noe bit into a piece of crispy bone, "I'll head back after lunch. What about you, Lailah?"
"I need to edit videos too." Lailah said, "My account hasn't posted anything in days."
She was a cultural content creator.
She needed to keep updating her content.
Thus, the lunch ended quickly. As they left, Noe was on the verge of tears, "Curtis, you promised I'd treat this meal!"
"Next time." Curtis responded lazily.
He walked ahead with his hands in his pockets, looking around after leaving the restaurant and noticing a custom engagement ring store on the floor below.
After Noe and Lailah left, Curtis looked at Dakota nonchalantly and then gestured with his chin, "Want to check it out?"
Dakota's expression turned incredulous.
She remained skeptical, saying, "So you're just trying to sweet-talk me?"
"Yeah." Curtis's voice was low, "After all, I need Mrs. Pineda to cooperate tonight, how about buying a pair of rings?"
