Chapter 856: What could go wrong?

One day before the fan club reunion...

"Thank you, Mr. Russel," Nina said, seated across from Jonathan in a restaurant for their meeting. "Some of the materials have already arrived, and we could start the project sometime around next week. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course." Jonathan nodded with a smile, studying the kind smile on Nina’s face.

Her mouth kept moving, discussing everything that still needed to be addressed. However, he paid little attention to it, as his mind drifted back to the stories Cassandra had shared with him two nights ago.

He had already known about the baby swap, even before Cassandra told him. Everything about the school stuff, however, was news to him. He hadn’t gone to the same school, after all. And even if he wanted to spy on people, he didn’t have enough resources, as he was just starting his revenge.

’The time she was still fighting Penelope for her right... I was busy building my power,’he thought, staring into Nina’s bright eyes. ’Why did you become so boring, Nina Reed?’

"Mr. Russel, all I need are the last documents that need to be signed," Nina’s voice interrupted his thoughts. "Did you bring them?"

Jonathan shook his head. "To be honest, I was so busy that I forgot them in the office. Don’t worry, Miss Nina, I already called my assistant to deliver them here."

"Oh?" Nina blinked but kept her smile in place. "I see. It happens when we have a lot to do at once."

"Why don’t we eat first, Miss Reed?" he suggested. "I’m a little... famished."

Nina pursed her lips, tempted to tell him that she didn’t want to eat lunch with him. It wasn’t that she had anything against him—Nina often ate lunch with clients to build rapport. However, she had planned to go straight to Finn after this meeting.

Nina had been juggling work and taking care of Finn, sometimes even bringing her work into his ward. From what she had heard, even though Finn was still in a coma, he could still hear her. So, Nina didn’t want him to get bored while he slept soundlessly in his ward.

"Sure," she blurted out with a forced smile. "I’ll call the waiter—"

"No need." He shook his head. "I’ve already placed my order ahead of time."

"Huh?"

"Our meeting is around lunch," he explained. "With my schedule, I had to skip lunch, and only now do I have time."

"Oh..." Nina nodded in understanding. "That’s why. I see."

"You don’t mind, do you?"

"Of course not!"

"Are you sure, Miss Reed? If you have other appointments after this, I can send the documents to the office."

Nina shook her head, smiling. "I’ll wait for them, Mr. Russel."

"If you say so, then... I’m honored to have spent this lunch with you," he quipped, making her smile awkwardly.

For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence between them as neither of them spoke. Nina searched her mind and heart, wondering what to say to avoid sitting through more of the awkward silence. Usually, this would be easy, but Jonathan’s awkward jokes had her stumped.

"I’ve been curious, Miss Reed." While she was thinking, Jonathan broke the silence. "Since we’re already here, I’m curious—what made you pursue interior design?"

Nina’s brows rose, and her smile grew eager. "Well, it’s a long story."

"We have time," he remarked. "It’s better to listen and get to know our interior designer more than sit in awkward silence."

’Hehe. I knew it, he felt the awkwardness too.’

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Your bedroom?"

"Mhm. When I was thirteen, I decided to renovate my bedroom. So, I saved up my allowance for the rest of the school year to renovate my room. But since my savings weren’t enough for a full-blown renovation, I had to be resourceful." Nina’s face softened as she recalled the memory. "After that, I fell in love with interior design."

"The planning, the ideas, and then the creation—everything about it is amazing," she continued, her eyes sparkling with passion. "Since then, I kept thinking about it and started designing. Sometimes, I’d make little DIY decorations and things like that to add to my room. After all, I was thirteen back then, so everything was still limited."

Jonathan nodded in understanding. "What a story."

"I’m glad my family was supportive. My cousin even let me redecorate their bedrooms, taking their ideas and preferences into account. They kept their rooms that way even after we became adults," she added. "I mean, my aunt maintained them the same way. One of my cousins left when he was still seventeen to pursue something else in life."

"I see." Jonathan nodded again, but this time, he was nodding for a different reason.

Initially, he wanted to ask which family she was referring to. There were the Cortez and the Bennets, but from everything she had said, it was clear she was talking about the former. What Cassandra had mentioned in passing was true.

Even though Jonathan had conducted his own investigation, hearing it directly from the people involved was different.

"You hadn’t mentioned it, but I heard that you went to the Summit School of Excellence, Miss Reed?" Jonathan broached, making Nina pause for a moment.

"Uh, yes," Nina breathed out, nodding. "I went there, but I didn’t graduate there."

"Even so, attending is a plus to your portfolio," he remarked. "Although it wasn’t mentioned there."

"Because what matters in my portfolio is where I graduated," she responded politely. "But yes, I went there for a few years. Can I ask how you found out about it, Mr. Russel?"

Jonathan’s smile widened. "Then are you going to the reunion, Miss Reed?"

"You know about the reunion...?"

"The woman I’m dating graduated from the Summit School of Excellence and is also a member of a fan club. She told me everyone is coming, so I assumed you might attend as well." Jonathan’s smile grew even bigger. "Would I expect to see you there? I’d love to introduce you to my girlfriend, and after seeing your designs, she’s very interested in meeting you."

Nina pressed her lips into a thin line, forcing a nod as she exhaled, "Of course."

What could go wrong, right?

It was just a reunion, and Nina even knew a few people who would be there. Moreover, Patricia wouldn’t be at the reunion since she wasn’t part of the fan club. So, there wouldn’t be anyone who would bring up anything from the past, especially when Penny and Nina were already on good terms.