Dakota didn't give them much chance to gossip.
But the news that the beautiful Dakota from the D exhibition hall was married spread quickly throughout the museum, dashing the hopes of many male colleagues who had harbored feelings for her.
Dakota gathered her things to leave work.
Until she drove her car into the garage, she was in a great mood, humming a song, and then she turned off the engine and stepped out in her heels.
But she didn't expect.
She was about to use her iris to unlock the villa when she saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing outside the garden.
In a white women's suit with a slightly stiff silhouette, the shoulder pads and the pointed high heels peeking out from the flared pants exuded a strong aura.
Greta stood there holding some items.
Her makeup was impeccable, her long hair neatly tied back, and two silver top luxury earrings hung from her ears, making it impossible to see any signs of age on her face.
Dakota couldn't remember how long it had been since she last saw her.
The last time she saw her was before she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence; she couldn't recall if it was during summer vacation, Christmas break, or Easter, but she had stayed at home for a while.
Greta had also been living at home.
But she was often out early and returning late.
Even under the same roof, mother and daughter hardly saw each other.
Dakota was almost forgetting what she looked like.
But in her vague memory, Greta had always been so refined after her divorce, she treated herself well and lived a more vibrant life after becoming single.
Dakota's cheerful mood from humming the song slightly subsided.
She was happy to see her mother, but it was hard for her to show her true feelings in front of Greta.
She walked over and pursed her lips, "Mom."
Greta looked her up and down as usual, not like she was seeing her daughter after a long time, but rather with a sense of detachment and strangeness, "You've lost weight."
Actually, Dakota had been slim for a long time.
She lost a lot of weight just a couple of years after going abroad.
Compared to the last time Greta saw her, she had even gained some weight thanks to Curtis.
Dakota didn't respond. She looked at Greta cautiously and slightly turned her body, "Would you like to come in and sit down?"
Greta nodded and walked forward in her heels, looking more like a leader on inspection than a caring mother visiting her daughter.
But Dakota didn't say anything.
She led Greta inside, and the interaction between mother and daughter was so distant and unfamiliar that they weren't even as close as ordinary colleagues.
The awkward atmosphere spread endlessly.
Dakota felt a bit uneasy. Greta's visit was unexpected, and she wasn't sure if Curtis was home.
She bent down to take out slippers from the shoe cabinet and asked Greta to change. Then, feeling somewhat nervous, she peered into the villa from beside the entrance cabinet.
Dakota just wanted to see if Curtis was home.
But unexpectedly, as soon as she poked her head out, she met the man's sharp and captivating eyes.
Curtis seemed to have been home for a while.
He had already taken off the suit he wore in the morning and changed into loose, casual home clothes—a black short-sleeved shirt paired with long pants, making the financial newcomer seem less unreachable and more relaxed.
"Are you back?"
Curtis was in a lazy posture, his bangs casually scattered, like a little puppy waiting for his wife to return home.
He tilted his head to look at Dakota, his gaze gentle, "Do you want to eat mango or watermelon first?"
Curtis' long eyes, more captivating than peach blossom eyes, were filled with smiles, indicating his happiness at Dakota's return and readiness to court her.
But Dakota didn't answer immediately.
She looked at Curtis in an unnatural way, then turned her head to gesture to her side.
At that moment, Greta had also changed into the slippers.
She walked out from the entrance area, and the white suit suddenly emanated a different aura.
Seeing Greta's face, Curtis, who had been relaxed a moment ago, was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to come and was visibly stunned for a while.
Then he slowly straightened his posture and nodded politely to Greta, "Mom."
Greta didn't act naturally either.
This wasn't her first time meeting Curtis. She had watched him grow up and knew his character, which is why she arranged for her daughter to marry him.
But suddenly hearing him call her "Mom," she didn't react immediately, as if she hadn't heard such a sincere address for a long time.
"Curtis." Greta finally smiled, "I came here unannounced today, I hope I'm not disturbing your daily life."
Unable to move the eyes. "Not at all." Curtis immediately invited her in, "Kota has been looking forward to your visit."
Greta looked at Dakota in surprise.
Dakota was also taken aback. She pursed her lips lightly, seemingly uncomfortable with confronting her dependence and longing for her mother.
It was Greta who smiled helplessly, "I'm the one who's not doing my job as a mother. I said I'd come over last time, but I got busy with work and forgot again. If not for Kota mentioning it, I wouldn't have known you two already got your marriage certificate."
Curtis actually didn't like Greta very much.
Compared to the loving relationship between his parents and the family atmosphere, Greta was indeed somewhat negligent as a mother.
Although he used to have a contentious relationship with Dakota, he also knew that Dakota didn't receive much affection from her mother, and only had her grandmother taking care of her at home.
So even though Dakota would constantly bicker with Curtis every day, she always liked to come out and play with them.
Especially during holidays.
When many families were celebrating festivals, Dakota could never stay at home and would insist on calling them one by one to come out. Noe was very proactive about organizing gatherings, while Curtis, because his family placed great importance on the festive atmosphere, would only arrive after finishing family activities, usually being the last to show up.
Moreover, the last time Dakota, despite injuring her hand, prepared dishes that Greta loved in hopes of her coming over, but was let down again, which Curtis still remembered.
He felt that Greta had wronged Mrs. Pineda.
Considering she was both his elder and his mother-in-law, Curtis still maintained a gentlemanly demeanor. "We didn't cook tonight, we're having burgers and fries. Not sure if that's to your taste?"
"Burgers?" Greta glanced at Dakota.
She seemed a bit surprised that they were having burgers, but said nothing, only nodding, "I'm fine with anything."
She wasn't picky about anything in life, most of her attention was focused on her career, and even when she dressed elegantly, it was just for her corporate image.
Greta had no objections to having burgers, but she kept looking back and forth between Dakota and Curtis, with a faint hint of displeasure in her expression.
Curtis led Greta to the sofa and brought her some fruit, asking her to rest for a while as the ingredients for the burgers were not yet ready.
He knew that Dakota definitely wanted to talk with Greta, so he gently pushed her towards her with his hand on her lower back, "Go keep your mom company, I'll call you when the food is ready."
