CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 25: BLAKE SINCLAIR’S "LITTLE SCHEMES

In a daze, a moment of clarity came.

Holly Crowe had already been helped to the sofa in the inner room, and as soon as she sat down, a steaming cup of brown sugar water was handed to her.

"This..."

Holly numbly took it.

The warmth from the glass slowly spread from her fingertips to her entire body.

So warm...

Blake Sinclair found a mineral water bottle from somewhere and was filling it with hot water.

After filling it up, he tightened the cap, wrapped it with a few layers of tissue, and handed it to her: "Holding it will make you feel better."

Holly placed it on her stomach, feeling the warmth. Just as she was about to look up to thank him, she saw Blake already turning to leave.

She instinctively grabbed his sleeve: "Where are you going..."

The words felt somewhat intrusive as soon as they came out.

But Blake seemed unaware, looking back at the sleeve being held, his hand on the other side subtly clenched into a fist behind his back.

Holly, realizing it a moment later, withdrew her hand.

Blake’s lips curled slightly, leisurely unbuttoning his suit.

The action was oddly enticing coming from him.

Holly’s ears burned, and she lowered her head to take a big sip of the sugary water, only to hear a low chuckle above her.

In the next second, the suit jacket, warm from his body, suddenly draped over her shoulders, enveloping her in a faint scent of cedar.

"Rest well, Boss Crowe." His gaze flickered, "I’m going to work for you."

The suit still held his warmth, and with his words, Holly’s face turned crimson instantly.

She wanted to refuse, but Blake had already turned and headed toward the storeroom.

"Wait!"

Holly was so anxious her voice changed pitch, "The Drunken Orchid is in the storeroom, first cabinet, second shelf, orange packaging, there are two sets, don’t mix them up, remember to verify for the customer..."

Blake stood in the backlight, the sun elongating his shadow: "Holly, you can try to trust me."

Her name, spoken in his deep voice, felt oddly intimate to Holly, like it carried inexplicable tenderness.

She said nothing more, just silently buried her burning face in the collar of the suit.

The steam from the brown sugar water gradually rose, and Holly took a sip from the cup, the sweetness spreading across her tongue.

Through the gap between the cabinets, she could see Blake searching for the goods in the storeroom.

Before long, his composed voice resonated through the outer hall.

Among the voices was a woman’s admiring remark: "Are all the staff this handsome nowadays?"

The warm sunlight shone on her, and after drinking a cup of brown sugar water, Holly’s abdominal pain seemed to ease quite a bit.

Maybe she hadn’t slept well last night, her eyelids grew heavy.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Blake sitting in a chair diagonally opposite, with a laptop on his lap, focused.

Just waking up, Holly’s mind was still a bit foggy, her gaze lingering on the man diagonally across.

The light highlighted the sharp contours of his profile, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his forearms, and Holly finally noticed a small mole on the outside of Blake’s left arm.

"Awake?"

"..Yeah."

Blake closed his laptop and looked over.

Holly straightened up; she had been leaning her head back on the sofa and now her neck felt taut and sore.

She rubbed the back of her neck and casually asked, "What time is it."

Maybe because she just woke up, her brain hadn’t reacted yet—she hadn’t noticed she omitted any prefixes or titles, unlike the usual formalities she adhered to with Blake.

The three words carried a noticeable familiarity, and due to just waking up, there was an unclear, sticky quality to them.

Blake raised an eyebrow and replied, "Eleven-thirty."

Holly: "!!!!"

What! Eleven-thirty?

She had slept for almost two hours!

Her mind cleared instantly, reason returning.

Only then did Holly realize she had actually allowed Blake to work and tend to the customers in the store while she dozed off on the sofa.

And she slept for two hours!

Covering herself with the suit jacket he had taken off.

Embarrassment, shame, and various emotions surged in.

She quickly stood up, intending to hand back the suit in her hands, but remembered she had just taken and then returned it.

"President Sinclair, sorry for taking up your time. I’ll get your watch for you now."

"No rush."

Blake stepped closer, the cedar scent enveloping her.

"How are you feeling now? Better?" he asked.

"..Much better, thank you for today." Holly instinctively clutched the suit, looking down to avoid his gaze.

"Has it always been like this? Is it this painful every time?"

"Huh?.."

Holly was momentarily stunned; the question was too personal, yet he asked so candidly.

She nodded, then shook her head, ambiguously saying, "Not always, it depends."

Holly wasn’t really embarrassed, more like she felt that their current relationship hadn’t reached the stage to discuss such topics.

Blake seemed to hear the underlying meaning in her words and tactfully changed the subject.

Holly tugged at her lips in a slight smile, setting down the suit to fetch his watch.

After getting the watch and using the restroom along the way, she returned to see Blake had put his suit back on.

"This.."

"What’s the matter?" Blake looked over.

Holly pointed at his jacket, hesitant to speak, "Your suit... I..."

Blake’s eyes narrowed briefly, then he chuckled softly, "Holly, I thought we were friends?"

Holly: "Huh?"

She paused before understanding his implication.

But what kind of friends wear each other’s clothes like that? Isn’t that something only a playboy or a loose woman would do?

Yet since Blake expressed he didn’t mind, saying anything further would make her seem petty.

Meeting his frank gaze, Holly reconsidered and swallowed back the words, "How about I dry clean it before returning it to you."

"President Sinclair, your watch."

"Thank you."

Blake took the watch and put it on, the watch face gleaming coldly under the light, complementing his distinct wrist bones.

Noble, elegant, it suited him well.

Blake adjusted the cufflinks, glanced at the time, and casually suggested, "Thanks for helping with the watch. Want to grab a meal together?"

Holly paused, reflexively polite: "President Sinclair, you’re too kind. Thank you for helping today; otherwise, I might have had to call an ambulance alone. I should be the one treating you."

Blake looked at her, a smile playing on his lips, "That works too, let’s go then."

Holly: "?"

He agreed so readily?

By usual protocol, shouldn’t you decline politely, I insist, and you finally agree?

How did we skip to the final step so quickly?

"Um..."

Holly wanted to say something else but saw Blake already packing up his computer, ready to leave.

Seeing her still standing in place, he turned back, "What’s wrong?"

Holly scratched her chin, shook her head, "Nothing, just wanted to ask where you’d like to eat."

"I’ve already made a reservation; just hop in the car."

"?"

Already reserved?

Holly felt she had walked into a trap set by a cunning strategist.

What exactly happened during those two hours she fell asleep?

No time to ponder, seeing Blake almost at the door, she quickly gathered her things to follow.

The familiar Maybach’s front passenger seat.

As soon as she sat down, there was a subtle vibration at her lower back.

Blake had turned on the seat massage.

Holly relaxed into it, her aching lower back feeling considerably better.

The engine started, and the Maybach drove away.

Having been in this seat before, Holly wasn’t as reserved, glancing at the man in the driver’s seat: "President Sinclair, what restaurant did you choose?"

Blake looked straight ahead, his Adam’s apple shifting slightly: "Riverwatch Pavilion."

Holly nodded.

Riverwatch Pavilion is famous for its crawfish—fresh, fragrant, and spicy—the best in Beldon.

Could it be Blake planned to take her for crawfish?

Holly subconsciously touched her stomach; she couldn’t eat cold, spicy food due to her cramps, but given Blake’s help today, she decided to let it slide, eating just a little less would be fine.

Blake seemed to perceive her thoughts, asking during a red light, "What’s wrong?"

Holly shook her head, "Nothing. Riverwatch Pavilion sounds great."

It was a twenty-minute drive from Lunar Lotus Studio to Riverwatch Pavilion.

When led to the private room by the waiter, seeing the dishes on the table, Holly realized she was overthinking it.