Change his clothes, and Isidore seemed to have gone to Mars. When he left, he said, "Please wait a moment." By the time he returned, the dishes had cooled twice; everything was taken down once again and re-served.
The mayor's face turned as black as a lump of charcoal. He had never encountered such arrogance. If it weren't for needing something from this young man... When he finally returned, he was still holding a young lady's hand tightly, and upon a closer look at her face—
Everyone stopped being angry and instead felt a sense of disarray. Their thoughts ran wild, and some couldn't help but picture some melodramatic scenes—so, it turns out, everyone here was just part of your little game?
Isidore had someone bring an extra chair for Eloise, placing it between him and the mayor.
Eloise noticed that the mayor's toupee, which she had disarranged with her words, had not yet been straightened. The mayor himself seemed utterly unaware. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt and dared not speak further, lowering her head and quietly shoveling food into her mouth.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, Isidore spoke little to others, offering only a few polite and distant remarks. However, his hand never ceased in serving food to Eloise, even peeling the shrimp shells before placing them in her bowl.
Eloise kept reminding herself to stay vigilant, vigilant, and ever more vigilant, not to fall into his gentle trap. After all, he was the type who could turn his face and deny her in an instant. Just then, someone stood up to offer Isidore a toast, and she instinctively looked up and said, "No, he can't drink."
Only then did she realize how meddlesome she had been. Her face flushed red, and in frustration, she wanted to bury her face in the bowl. Yet, the burning gaze beside her was something she could not ignore. After this moment, anyone with functioning eyes knew there was something more to it.
At the table, there was someone who liked to liven things up, and now they had the courage to ask, "Who is this young lady, and what's her relationship with Mr. Isidore?"
Isidore answered the latter question, pausing for a moment. "For now, she's..." Eloise's heart skipped a beat, and she heard him say clearly, "A life-and-death friend." What kind of answer was that? She really wanted to roll her eyes and gently kicked him under the table.
Isidore's foot shifted, hooking gently around her slender calf, lifting it slightly and swaying it as though on a swing. The high-quality silk trousers clung coolly to her leg. Eloise wished to stop, but there was simply not enough space to free herself.
She was worried that the movement below would make her unsteady above, and if she fell, it would expose her awkwardness and embarrass her. Though her head was lowered, her hand clenched into a fist, bracing firmly on the table. Isidore let out a soft chuckle, turning his head to ask her, "Full?"
He casually placed his cutlery on the table, reached over, and gently enclosed her small fist in his palm. He squeezed until her strength faded, leaving it resting on his thigh while he continued to engage with the others at the table with natural ease.
Eloise tried several times, attempting from every angle to withdraw her hand, but it felt as though she had entered another dimension—she simply couldn't pull it free.
From the mayor's side, he could not see the private exchange between them. He could only marvel inwardly, clicking his tongue in awe. This young leader, renowned for his decisive and ruthless methods, never once let the smile fade from his lips when beside the young lady.
Though they hadn't interacted much, just comparing his presence when he first entered the room to now, the atmosphere had noticeably softened. He seemed almost like a different person, displaying a touch of youthful charm.
After all, he was still young!
Seeing the lively atmosphere at the dinner table and noting that Isidore seemed to be in a good mood, the mayor smoothly brought up the main topic, "Mr. Isidore, the government has development plans for the land surrounding the City West Amusement Park. I remember one of your subsidiaries owns some of it..."
Surrounded by wasteland, Isidore had no intention of playing the fool. On the surface, he listened attentively, then skillfully redirected the conversation without leaving a trace. His tone was polite and thoughtful, and the reasons he gave sounded genuine—only Eloise knew just how absent-minded he truly was.
Because he was bored, he spread his palm out and, under the table, gently stroked her smooth thigh, each touch slow and deliberate. Rather than just stroking, it was more like playing—his long fingers occasionally straying to the inner side, pinching a soft roll of flesh.
The mayor was speaking beside them, and Eloise dared not move or make a sound, but inside, she was seething with anger: Do you think I'm some sort of plaything? This damn pervert!
Once again, a wave of tingling sensation spread across her skin, raising a shiver that made her unable to endure it any longer. With a sudden jolt, she stood up, startling the mayor.
Isidore asked with feigned concern, "What's wrong, did you eat too much and feel uncomfortable?" Eloise shot him a glare, the kind that asked if he was seriously pretending not to know, and yet he managed to use her discomfort as an excuse to get away from the mayor's financial demands. "Sorry, looks like I need to take her to the hospital."
"Alright, fine, then maybe next time…" The mayor, clearly displeased, turned to glare at her behind his small, beady eyes.
After leaving the restaurant, Eloise hurried to the window at the corner of the hallway, hands on her hips, taking deep breaths of fresh air. This time, the evening breeze carried away the heat from her face. Isidore walked up behind her and casually draped his arm over her shoulder. "I'll take you."
He didn't give her a chance to refuse, quickly adding, "It's on the way." Then, with his arm around her, he started leading her out. Eloise hadn't even processed it—did he know where she lived? How was it suddenly on the way?
As the car drove from the underground garage onto the road, she absentmindedly glanced out the window and caught sight of a familiar figure. Only then did she remember that Lysander had said he would wait for her—and she had completely forgotten about it!
Using the excuse of going to the front desk to pick something up, she had returned to the restaurant. Now, nearly three hours had passed, and the bustling road had become desolate, with the flow of cars and people dwindling. Yet, Lysander was still waiting! His tall figure leaned against a flowerbed, arms crossed, gazing absentmindedly at the ground, his shadow stretched long by the streetlamp.
Oh my, Eloise truly felt she was utterly despicable. She turned around and anxiously tapped Isidore's arm a few times. "Stop, stop! My friend is over there waiting for me. You can go back on your own, no need to see me off!"
"Stop tapping, I'm driving," Isidore lifted his eyelids and glanced outside, his brows furrowing slightly in irritation. "Is he crazy? Playing statue at night? Just call him or tell him to go home on his own. Why bother getting out of the car?"
Eloise was anxious and patiently explained, "It's because I forgot to tell him, and now he's been waiting so long. You think it's appropriate to just send him away with a single sentence?"
"What's inappropriate about it?" Isidore clicked his tongue, his face filled with indifference. "Do you think it's appropriate for a guy to wait on the street for three hours for a girl without even calling to check on her? What is this, a prime time drama?" He scoffed, cruelly sarcastic.
Eloise didn't have time to argue with him. "Just pull over by the side of the road and let me out."
He shot back with two words, "Not stopping."
Eloise stared at him, stunned. "Hey, didn't you say earlier..." The person in the lounge, who claimed to have figured things out and now had all the patience in the world—who was that? Who was the one making her feel as though he had transformed into someone new, no longer petty and overbearing?
Was it just another scam? Eloise thought to herself, "See? See? He's showing his true colors so soon!"
Isidore saw through her thoughts, suppressing his emotions, and said with restraint: "I did say I would respect you and give you space, but that doesn't mean I'll just watch you get out of my car and walk towards another man!"
"??"
Isidore curved his lips into a fake smile. "What I meant was, if you don't mind, why not have him get in the car as well? I can drop him off on the way."
