Chapter 6

"Although the engagement was yours to begin with, you're entrusting your whole life to this person. You should still be careful," Darla warned.

Piper knew Darla genuinely had her best interests at heart, but she wasn't looking for love. A mutually beneficial arrangement already gave both sides leverage. She didn't need to care whom Lazarus loved. All she needed to do was protect the family business Jonah had given her.

She hugged Darla and said, "I will. Don't worry."

Darla knew Jonah would never let anyone hurt his daughter, but she still reminded Piper, "It never hurts to be a little more careful. They've known each other for so many years. Make sure they aren't hiding anything from you or doing anything behind your back."

Piper couldn't help thinking of the moment she had caught Harvey and Cecilia registering their marriage. Her heart tightened.

"I'll find a chance to talk to Lazarus and clarify things. It'll be better for everyone."

Piper didn't want to waste any more time on matters of the heart. If Lazarus loved Rosalie, she would persuade Jonah to let them be together.

She spent a few more minutes assuaging Darla before Lazarus' car arrived.

As soon as Piper stepped outside, four bodyguards in plain suits and black sunglasses fell in and followed her from behind. Isaac explained that since Lazarus would have his men as well, only half the usual number of bodyguards would join her this time. They didn't want to draw too much attention.

But were four bodyguards considered few and inconspicuous?

At the gate, a black sedan had already been waiting for some time.

When Abel saw Piper, he stepped out of the car, clasped his hands respectfully in front of him, and said, "Miss, I'm Abel Johnson, Mr. Lazarus' personal assistant. He still has something to take care of. He'll meet you at the mall later."

He opened the rear door for her. "Mr. Lazarus asked me to apologize on his behalf."

Piper smiled. "It's alright. I just returned to Gemdale, and Dad was worried I wouldn't be familiar with the place, so he had to trouble Lazarus to babysit me. I'm the one who's taking up his time."

Abel wasn't used to this.

Rosalie had demanded that Lazarus be at her beck and call at all hours of the day. No matter how important the company's matters were, she would still blow up at him if she became displeased.

Piper, by contrast, seemed calm and almost serene. When she spoke, she showed great consideration for Lazarus. Abel immediately had a favorable impression of her, and he even kept his tone amiable. "Thank you for understanding, miss."

She said nothing more. Darla's words had left her feeling somewhat unsettled after all. Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by her ringing phone.

It was the real estate agent back in Southgrove. "Ms. Steele, there's a gentleman who wants to buy your house. He's in a hurry and says he's willing to pay double."

The house was somewhat far from the city center. Although it was in an upscale residential neighborhood, wealthy buyers rarely wanted such a small unit, while ordinary office workers couldn't afford one at that price.

Piper had assumed it would take at least six months to a year to sell the house, so she was rather surprised. "It's not exactly a prime property. Just sell it at the price we agreed on before."

The agent chuckled. "The buyer doesn't seem all that bright, but he's loaded. Maybe he just likes throwing money around. If you turn him down and he decides to buy somewhere else, we'll be the ones losing out."

Piper said, "Tell him to think it over carefully. Once the transaction is completed, I may not be willing to refund him if he changes his mind."

She didn't notice Abel's eyebrows twitching in the front seat, his expression turning rather strange.

Afraid the buyer might change his mind, the agent sent over a digital copy of the contract less than ten minutes after ending the call. Piper had just signed it when she saw a message from Harvey.

"You know you went too far this time, don't you? Is that why you're too scared to call me? It's been three days, and you still haven't apologized to Mom. How long are you planning to drag this out?"

Piper let out a mocking laugh and ignored it.

When she looked up, the car had already pulled into the mall's VIP parking area.

Abel opened the rear door with his left hand and placed his right hand above the door frame.

"Miss, we're here."

He escorted her into a private elevator. "Mr. Lazarus is worried that you'll miss lunch after choosing your outfit, so he'd like to arrange lunch first. Is that all right with you, miss?"

Abel was even more heavily built than the four bodyguards. At that moment, however, he had a guileless look in his eyes and was grinning like a lovable idiot. "You've only just recovered, miss. It's important to eat your meals on time."

Piper almost felt too embarrassed to keep looking at him. "Alright."

Abel grinned and pulled out his phone to reply to Lazarus.

"Ms. Steele has agreed to lunch!

"She's so pretty and elegant, sir. Her voice is so soft, and she's very polite.

"She's the most special young lady I've ever met, sir!"

Abel sent three messages in a row. If the elevator hadn't gone directly to the top-floor restaurant, he probably would have sent another three.

The restaurant had been cleared out half an hour earlier.

Piper followed Abel into the private dining room while servers bowed and greeted her all the way there.

Then her phone chimed. The payment for the house had arrived. It really was double the amount she'd asked for.

Abel stopped at the door with the Crane family's bodyguards. "Mr. Lazarus is already inside, miss."

A tall, broad-shouldered figure stood beneath the magnificent crystal chandelier. The tailored light-brown suit revealed the faint contours of muscle beneath the fabric. The man seemed to be busy. His phone screen was still lit when he turned around.

Piper saw a handsome face. His deep-set features, tall nose bridge, and firm lips made him look positively godlike. There were faint dimples at the sides of his cheeks, adding an air of docility to him.

"Ms. Steele."

Piper withdrew her gaze.

"Hello, Mr. Crane."

Lazarus pulled out a chair for her. "Please have a seat."

"Thank you." She smiled.

Lazarus undid the ruby cuff links on his sleeves, revealing a stretch of pale forearm, then picked up a box from beside him.

"I should have personally picked you up when you returned to Gemdale. I was delayed by some matters today and couldn't make it to Crane Manor myself either. I'm very sorry. Here's a small token from me. I hope you like it."

As he set the box down, the blue veins along his arm popped, seemingly pulsating with strength. But what caught Piper's attention even more was the box.

She had loved the model the moment it was released. Unfortunately, she couldn't afford it then. By the time she had finally saved enough, it had already been discontinued.

Piper wanted to ask how Lazarus knew she liked it, but then she thought better of it. A nice way to put it was to say that Jonah had entrusted his business and his daughter to Lazarus. But if one were to be blunt about it, Lazarus was indebted to Jonah for having raised him and had to comply with whatever Jonah asked of him. He had no other choice.

Based on the earnest look on his face, the sincerity in his voice, and the thoughtfulness of the gift, it was clear he'd put genuine effort into preparing it, but it didn't necessarily mean it was a result of his own desires.

Piper looked him straight in the eye and said calmly, "You're not obligated to do this."

Lazarus watched as she pushed the model back toward him. The shrewdness in his eyes deepened.

"You don't like it, Ms. Steele?"

Piper thought she had made herself perfectly clear, so she hadn't expected him to ask that.

"That's not it. You don't need to apologize to me. If anything, I'm the one who took up your time today."

Lazarus' eyes lowered slightly. "Then please accept it. I bought it years ago but never had the time to put it together. If you're willing to help me, that would be even better."

Since he had put it that way, Piper figured Jonah had most likely either directly asked him or hinted that he should learn about her preferences. She stopped refusing the gesture.

"In that case, thanks, Mr. Crane."

At first glance, Lazarus' features seemed imposing. But the lower half of his face, softened by those dimples, gave him the illusion of being sweet and docile.

Lazarus signaled for the servers to bring out the food. The portions were small and refined, with impeccable presentation, aroma, and flavor. Everything suited Piper's tastes. He even nudged the bowl of soup toward her first.

Piper's fingers curled slightly. She liked drinking a bowl of soup first when the weather was cold to warm her stomach. Even Harvey had never noticed that habit.

But she quickly suppressed the flicker of emotion. "Thank you."

Lazarus put his hands together and looked at her, saying, "You don't need to be so courteous with me."

"Alright."

Once Piper began eating, Lazarus didn't try to make conversation. The meal was quiet and lasted fairly long. Out of politeness, Piper tasted only a bit of everything. She barely looked up throughout the meal, avoiding eye contact with Lazarus.

From his perspective, her slender, quiet presence seemed to make the entire world slow down.

It wasn't until he noticed that she hadn't touched the mille-feuille that had been served last that Lazarus finally asked, "Is it not to your liking?"

Piper looked up. His lashes were lowered slightly, and his lips were pressed into a straight line. She replied earnestly, "It's not that. I had a big breakfast, so I'm not very hungry."

Lazarus merely lowered his head slightly, his expression unchanged.

Piper knew he had put thought into everything, and she also knew her reaction hadn't exactly been enthusiastic. So she took the initiative to ask, "Do you like sweet things too, Mr. Crane?"

His eyes were bright as he hummed in acknowledgment. "I do."

He ventured, "There's another restaurant with good desserts. Would you like to go together next time?"

Piper hesitated, and at that very moment, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, frowned, and rejected the call. Less than a second later, it rang again.

It was Harvey.

Piper gave Lazarus an apologetic smile.

"I need to take this call."

"Okay."

Lazarus watched her walk out of the private room. The light in his eyes gradually cooled.

Abel poked half his head through the doorway.

"Isn't Ms. Steele great? She's so gentle when she talks, and she's always thinking of other people. You'd feel like you shouldn't even speak too loudly when you're around her."

Alas, Abel shouldn't have said anything. The moment he did, Lazarus' already-cold expression darkened further. "Why do you say that? Did she speak very gently to you in the car? Was she very considerate of you then? Did she treat you very well?"