Chapter 416: Chapter 417

Chapter 417 Dishes Tampered “You’re curious, huh? Well, some things are just meant for Mr. Lawson’s ears.” Florence sighed, her disappointment evident.

Angela’s brow furrowed slightly as she calmly studied Florence’s expression.

“If there are matters you can’t spill in public, let’s focus on what we can share,” Angela suggested coolly while locking eyes with her. She then casually glanced over at Christopher, who was sitting quietly beside Florence, and added, “Once we’re done, it’s time to return him to us.”

Christopher remained a silent figure in the background and did not react when he was being mentioned.

Florence’s frown deepened, and frustration bubbled up inside her.

She hadn’t expected Angela’s sharp tongue to nearly leave her speechless.

But when the latter noticed Florence’s lack of response, she quickly asked, “You wouldn’t go back on your word, would you, Miss Shelton?”

Florence blurted out, “Of course not! I keep my promises.”

Her mood soured even more, and because she was talking to Angela, even the smile that had been on her face disappeared.

Angela fixed her gaze on Florence, her eyes probing and her expression indifferent.

Under her scrutinizing gaze, Florence felt uneasy and angered.

“What’s with the stare–down? You doubt my word?” She shot Angela a defiant look while hoping to shift the focus away from herself.

1/7 Her tone was authoritative, but the guilt flickering in her eye: betrayed her lack of confidence. It was as if she was overcompensating or trying too hard to assert her dominance.

“Just wondering if you’ll honor your words,” Angela replied calmly as she took her time to assess the situation. “It doesn’t seem like you are planning to cut me loose, are you?”

At that moment, Angela emanated an air of assurance, and Florence couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu, as if she were facing Jonathan himself.

Florence blinked, trying to brush off the sensation as mere trickery of the mind, all the while pondering Angela’s words.

True enough, releasing Christopher wasn’t on her agenda. Her deal with Jonathan was just a ploy to ease his hostility toward her.

Even if she eventually set him free, it would be merely for show. She would still have someone keeping him under close watch, just in case.

After all, where there was a spark, there was usually a blaze.

Florence pulled off meeting Jonathan this time by using Christopher’s influence as her ticket in. Even if Jonathan shut her out later, she had another card to play.

Despite his warning that he wouldn’t tolerate any more manipulations. involving Christopher, she remained skeptical.

‘I’ll believe it when I see it,” Florence scoffed, then turned to Christopher. Right, Christopher? You agree, don’t you?”

Caught off guard by the sudden mention, Christopher bobbed his head in agreement. “Yes, yes. Miss Shelton is definitely...”

2/7 Jonathan’s stern look cut him off abruptly.

Florence, who never fully took her eyes off Jonathan, seized the moment to speak her mind.

“Mr. Lawson, I’ll hand over the person to you myself, no doubt about it. But today, I want to have a chat with you, and only you.”

And by ‘only you,‘ she clearly meant Angela.

At this moment, she seemed to have found where Jonathan’s bottom line. lay. Even when mentioning Angela while speaking to him, she refrained from conveying any clear or overly negative subjective emotions.

Even though her words weren’t as sharp as before, her determination remained unwavering.

She was determined to win over Jonathan, no matter what obstacles lay ahead.

The more hurdles she faced, the more she was determined to make him hers.

“Speak,” he responded coldly, unmoved by her attempts.

Only Angela knew that despite his calm and stern demeanor, he was actually tightly holding her hand under the table.

She smiled and squeezed his hand back.

“I...” Florence clenched her teeth and was ready to speak again when the door to the private room was abruptly pushed open.

It was the waiter bringing in the dishes.

The first person to enter was still the restaurant manager, but this time, he 3/7 was sweating profusely and much more nervous than before The reason for his anxiety was that he had just discovered Florence’s true identity from her subordinates.

He had a hunch that the people at this table were important, but he hadn’t grasped just how crucial they were. Following Florence’s orders only amped up his nerves.

He couldn’t afford to offend anyone, especially those of the Shelton Family, and definitely not Florence, who was not just back but also poised to take over the Shelton Family’s legacy.

The manager kept his nerves in check as he directed the waiters to serve the dishes.

Plate after plate of mouth watering delicacies were swiftly placed on the table. “Please enjoy your meal, dear guests,” the manager said respectfully before making his exit.

Angela stole a glance at the manager before the door closed.

There was something different about him from when they had met outside. He seemed even more on edge now.

It’s not typical for someone to get increasingly nervous with each encounter with strangers or guests.

But she couldn’t shake off the feeling that it might be her imagination.

The manager had been courteous to Jonathan during their first meeting, but now it seemed like his attention had shifted to Florence.

“What’s on your mind?” Jonathan noticed her contemplative expression and asked in a concerned tone as he leaned in closer.

4/7 Angela shook her head slowly. She gazed at Jonathan’s face, which was so near hers, and felt a bit dazed.

Jonathan was handsome, with fair skin, beautiful eyebrows, and a straight nose, traits she had always been aware of.

But with him suddenly so near, she struggled to tear herself away from his intense gaze.

Especially when she locked eyes with his deep, dark eyes, she couldn’t ignore the fluttering in her chest.

She managed to glance away slightly, and only then did she start to feel a bit calmer.

Their eyes had moved away from each other, but Jonathan leaned in close. to her ear and asked once more, “What’s on your mind? Why do you seem so lost in thought?”

His voice was melodious, like a piece of very beautiful music.

Angela blinked a few times before returning to reality when she felt the warmth of his breath against her ear.

“Nothing. I guess I was just overthinking.”

Although Angela found the manager’s behavior a bit peculiar just now, she couldn’t think of a reason for it, so there was no need to mention it and add unnecessary worries.

Upon seeing her furrowed brow, Jonathan spoke gently, as if trying to convince her, “Maybe you’re reading too much into it. Just talk to me.”

His words sounded soft as he whispered near her ear, like sharing secrets. or speaking sweet nothings.

5/7 Angela felt her ears burning hot.

“Mr. Lawson and Miss Angela, whispering sweet nothings again?” Florence couldn’t hear what they were saying and saw them leaning in close. Thus, she felt particularly displeased and spoke up.

The mood was instantly dampened, and Angela’s nerves tightened.

Suddenly, she lifted her gaze, ignoring the delicious dishes on the table, and directed it squarely at Florence.

“We were indeed whispering, Miss Shelton. Surely you wouldn’t mind us, a lawful couple, sharing a few secrets, would you?”

The words didn’t just seem like a simple response; they sounded more like a declaration of authority.

Florence was speechless and couldn’t find a retort.

Coincidentally, her phone received a text message containing the names of the dishes that had been tampered with by her subordinates.

She glanced at the dishes on the table and lowered her eyes slightly to hide the turmoil in her eyes.

“Couple...” Florence muttered these words in a voice only she could hear, with a mocking smile. “won’t be for long.”

The two individuals across from her were far away and couldn’t hear her words. However, Christopher, who was closer, faintly heard her muttering but didn’t catch it.

After muttering those words, she turned to them and said graciously, “You two go ahead and speak. Once you’re done, we’ll eat.”

“Well, thanks for understanding, Miss Shelton,” Angela said with a smile 6/7 Chapter 417 Dishes Tampereu and did not hesitate to pull Jonathan into continuing their whispered conversation.