Semua Bab Opening My Eyes to Reality: Bab 541 - Bab 550

Cheryl's heart tightened, and her brows furrowed instinctively. But the flicker of expression only appeared for a second before she returned to the composed Cheryl Shaw."That won't be appropriate, Mr. Zimmerman. I've got work to do, so please excuse me."She gave him a perfunctory smile and turned to leave, but Benjamin called out to her again, "Cheryl."It wasn't the "Ms. Shaw" he used when they worked together, or even the one he used with passive-aggressive undertones after her departure.Benjamin rarely called her by name, and Cheryl's steps faltered. He quickly stepped in front of her.He was still his usual charismatic self. He slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced at the Attenborough sign with a half-smile. "Tell me how much Attenborough is paying you, and I'll double it. Come back."Benjamin was capable. Among Grendale's elite bachelors, he was undeniably one of the most accomplished. But deep down, he shared their tendency to look down on others.Cheryl couldn

The shout startled Natalie, and the pen in her hand dropped to the floor. She turned toward the voice and saw a face almost identical to hers.It was Jane.Jane's expression was twisted with rage, startling everyone in the office waiting to register their marriages. They all turned to stare at her in her frenzied state.With eyes bulging wide, Jane stumbled toward them. "Lorc! I object to you marrying her! I won't allow it!"Jason looked at her coldly, his thin lips parting slightly. "You object? Who do you think you are?"In Jason's eyes, Jane had always been nothing more than a plaything—a mere substitute for Natalie. Now that his dreams were about to come true and he was going to marry the woman he loved most, he naturally had no reason to pay any more attention to Jane.He asked the clerk for another pen and pressed it into Natalie's hand. "Natalie, you get only one chance. Miss it, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life."Natalie instinctively glanced at Jane. To be

Natalie had been surprised by Jane's sudden appearance earlier, but now, seeing Rowan waiting at the entrance, she pieced things together.She pursed her lips at Rowan's taunting words, laced with anger, and she glanced sideways at him. It was still that same handsome face, but even just sitting there, he looked so exhausted, as if he were on the verge of collapsing.His eyes were deeply sunken, and his once-full cheeks were now hollow and tinged with an unhealthy waxiness. Even his jawline seemed less defined. But the most striking were his eyes. They were bloodshot, with red veins sprawling like spiderwebs across the whites. The dark circles beneath them were so heavy they looked like they were bruises from taking a punch or like splattered ink that had spread everywhere. His lips were chapped and peeling, with a patch of stubble he'd missed shaving at the corner of his mouth.As Natalie studied his appearance, her nose began to sting. He must have been suffering even more tha

It seemed like Natalie's decision to leave Rowan and marry Jason remained a secret known only to those involved.In other words, Rowan had never planned to let her go.Natalie's chest felt tight. She didn't explain further and instead only stared out the window across from her, watching the wind sweep fallen leaves against the glass. But the pattering sounds they made could not drown out the emotions swirling around inside her. She thought of Rowan's pained expression from before and the harsh words she had said to him. They were like a string wrapping itself around her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.The last person she wanted to see right now was Rowan. But of course, the more one dreaded something, the more likely it was to happen.Bella tilted her head up. "Oh, hey, Rowan. You're here."Natalie's eyes snapped up. Sure enough, Rowan was standing just a few steps away. He was still wearing the same clothes from a few days ago, his shirt crumpled and wrinkled. Rowan

The moment Benjamin opened the door and his hand-sewn leather shoes barely crossed the threshold, a waiter approached him. "Good evening, sir. How many in your party?"Benjamin's gaze landed on Cheryl sitting by the window. "I'm here to meet someone."The waiter smiled. "Very well. Let me know if you need anything, sir."Benjamin was already walking away, merely offering a distracted grunt in response.He strode over and, without invitation, sat down in the empty seat next to Cheryl. She glanced at him, and her hand holding a glass of juice trembled. The amber liquid splashed onto the cream-colored tablecloth, blooming into an ugly stain.Though the hem of his trench coat was still dusted with a few crumpled leaves, Benjamin sat with elegant poise. He crossed his legs, tucked his hands in his pockets, and wore an arrogant smirk tinged with mockery. His gaze swept over the sparsely set table and landed on the sharply dressed man sitting across from the table before settling unfli