It turned out Sidney hadn't been mistaken. The person was indeed Mr. Smith. Recently, the C City branch had begun operations, and the company's main team had been transferred here to provide support. Of course, his boss was here as well.
When Mr. Smith first arrived, he had casually mentioned to Jayson that the person was now in the city as well. But seeing Jayson's lack of reaction, he guessed that Jayson probably already knew.
Of course, with Jayson's background, finding out about someone would be a breeze. However, he wasn't sure if Jayson knew where Sidney was in C City, so he casually mentioned, "Last time, when I was walking around, I saw her working at a bakery in the city center."
He wasn't usually so chatty, but he genuinely liked Sidney. The other women fluttering around Jayson, using every trick in the book to get close to him, didn't deserve his attention. Even when they were polite to him, it was only to see if he, as the "personal assistant," could report whether their boss would allow them an audience.
Sidney was the most normal and kind-hearted woman he had ever met. Although he had probably heard that the two were having serious issues, he still wanted to help save their marriage. He saw it as doing a good deed.
However, Mr. Smith wasn't reckless. He knew how to read the room before speaking. He could tell that Jayson hadn't fully gotten over his past feelings, otherwise, how could he still not be involved with another woman after a year? Moreover, Jayson still wore the wedding ring on his left ring finger, a clear sign that he hoped to continue his marriage.
After making a careful assumption and testing the waters, Mr. Smith deliberately dropped another hint. A few days later, he mustered up the courage and casually asked, "Which catering company should we go with for the company's opening party? I heard some people weren't happy with the dessert last time—it wasn't exactly top-tier. Is that alright?"
Sure enough, Jayson didn't even think before responding, "Didn't you mention that bakery in the city center last time? I heard they're pretty good."
Mr. Smith was now even more convinced that he hadn't made a mistake. But what surprised her was that, despite all the effort put into it, Sidney never showed
Not giving up, Mr. Smith tried a few more times. When the company needed to order afternoon tea, he purposely asked the receptionist to book from that place. Later, he ran into Sidney. He saw her, planning to go over and pretend it was a coincidence, but she seemed to notice him and deliberately avoided him. It seemed he would need to work harder to create another opportunity.
A few days later, after work, Mr. Smith specially visited the store where Sidney worked. He looked around but didn't see her. When he went to pay, he deliberately asked the counter, "Is there a very beautiful girl working here named Sidney?"
Frank happened to be at the counter that day. His sharp eyes quickly scanned Mr. Smith from head to toe, sizing him up.
Mr. Smith politely said, "I'm an old friend of hers. Is it possible to talk to her for a bit?"
Mr. Smith bought a dozen or so breads. He thought it wouldn't be a problem to have a quick chat.
"She's busy inside. Why don't you wait until she finishes work?" Frank said, thinking that would make him back off, since it was only 7 p.m.
"What time do you close?" Mr. Smith asked with a smile. He had already noticed that this man had feelings for Sidney.
"Ten o'clock."
"Alright, I'll come back later." Mr. Smith picked up the bread and left.
Frank couldn't have imagined that Sidney, who led such a simple life, could know a man like this. He thought about it for a moment before heading into the kitchen, finding Sidney, and saying, "You've been staying late to close up. You don't need to clean today—just wrap up early and get some rest."
Sidney looked at Frank, confused, thinking, Isn't that what the assistant is supposed to do? Why is he getting involved?
"But if I don't do it, who will?"
"I'll take care of it. You can rest today."
Sidney didn't want to receive any special treatment in front of others, as it might lead to misunderstandings. She refused Frank, saying it was her duty and that she was happy to help.
On Mr. Smith's side, as soon as he stepped out of the store, he immediately called Jayson, who had already returned to his place in C City. It didn't matter that he couldn't meet Sidney there; he still had a way.
"Boss, have you eaten? Ah, I guess you haven't. Would you like me to bring you something? What would you like to eat? ... Okay, I'll just buy something and bring it over."
Jayson lived alone in C City and often had Mr. Smith help him arrange meals. Mr. Smith felt like he was giving 24 hours a day to the company, and that couldn't go on! He needed to act fast and help get the boss's wife back, or else his own girlfriend would run away! Arriving at Jayson's place in C City, Mr. Smith took out the pre-packed takeout, including some mashed potatoes, grilled chicken, and sides, then set the bag of freshly baked bread on the table.
"I ran into your wife when I went out to buy a late-night snack! What a coincidence! And it seems the counter at that store was trying to flirt with her. I could tell your wife looked a bit bothered by it."
When Jayson reached for the bag of bread, Mr. Smith quickly grabbed it and lifted the entire bag.
"Sorry, boss, this is my late-night snack. The other one is your dinner." He pointed to the grilled chicken.
"Didn't you buy a lot?" Jayson frowned.
"Oh! This also includes what my mom and my girlfriend specifically wanted to eat! Sorry about that! I heard they close at 10 PM, so if you really want it, you'll have a chance to eat later." Mr. Smith thought to himself, feeling quite bold for speaking this way to the boss. If they couldn't fix things by now, then he had no idea what else could be done.
