The waitress only saw Tanya’s back and assumed she was Cindy Lynn because she was sitting in this spot.
She didn’t notice the manager frantically signaling her.
Until she walked around and clearly saw Tanya’s face, the waitress was momentarily stunned and didn’t react.
"Manager, isn’t this table reserved for Mr. Hawthorne for the year? How come..."
Tanya introduced herself confidently: "I am Mrs. Hawthorne. He reserved this table, so I believe I have the right to sit here."
The waitress wished she could dig a hole in the ground and disappear.
Tanya reached out her hand to her, "These are Cindy Lynn’s earrings, right? I can pass them on to her."
The waitress could only hand the pearl earrings to Tanya, awkwardly uttering, "Mrs. Hawthorne."
The manager quickly dragged her away, and Tanya could still hear the waitress grumble, "Isn’t Ms. Lynn Mr. Hawthorne’s girlfriend? How come he also has a wife..."
Tanya looked at the pearl earrings shining in her palm, clearly very expensive.
Not long after, Vincent Hawthorne arrived.
"Have you looked at the menu?" He asked casually, "What do you want to eat?"
Tanya smiled, "You know this place better. You decide."
No matter the matter, big or small, Tanya always listened to him and tailored her dining preferences according to his. Vincent was long accustomed to it, and asking her was more of a courtesy.
He called over the waitress and ordered some signature dishes and a soup.
Among them was a dish of bamboo shoots and beef.
Tanya was looking at a document Serena Holloway sent her on her phone, and hearing this dish mentioned, her eyes dimmed a bit.
She was allergic to bamboo shoots, and Vincent had long forgotten.
Tanya naturally didn’t bother to mention it, and when the dishes arrived, she didn’t touch the bamboo shoots and beef plate at all.
The two ate quietly, face-to-face.
This was the first time she had a meal alone with Vincent since she woke up.
Vincent wasn’t much of a talker, and during their past dates, it was mostly Tanya who spoke. She knew everything about his life and work and would rack her brains to think of topics he was interested in.
As long as Vincent showed the slightest displeasure, she’d immediately stop and switch to another topic.
Thinking about the past bits and pieces, Tanya couldn’t help but admire her past self.
How did she fall so deeply in love, to the point of losing herself?
"Did you open the gift I gave you yesterday?" Vincent suddenly asked.
Tanya’s hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly, pretending to be calm as she picked up some food, "Yes, it’s a watch."
Vincent took a sip of his drink and casually said, "Do you like it? I think it suits your temperament, very special."
Tanya almost laughed sarcastically.
Suits her temperament... what temperament?
The temperament of wearing freebies?
He gave Cindy Lynn a diamond bracelet worth millions and gave her a freebie, expecting her to be grateful and say she liked it.
Looking at Vincent’s still handsome face, Tanya felt a wave of nausea in her stomach. Suddenly, she thought her years of deep love were utterly foolish!
"I’m not feeling well, I’m going to the restroom." Tanya finished speaking, forcing herself to leave.
She feared if she looked at Vincent any longer, she’d throw up what she just ate.
Tanya went to the restroom, washed her face, and cooled down.
After drying off, her phone vibrated. Tanya took it out and saw someone had bid on the watch she had listed for cheap on a second-hand website.
The person inquired when it could be shipped.
Tanya replied while walking out, almost bumping into a woman coming the other way around the corner.
She was about to apologize when she first smelled a familiar perfume. Raising her eyes, she saw Cindy Lynn’s face.
"Ms. Tanya." Cindy Lynn looked delighted, "What a coincidence. Did President Hawthorne bring you here? I recommended this restaurant to him; sometimes we don’t know what to eat, and we often come here."
As she spoke, she lifted her hand to stroke her hair, the diamond bracelet on her wrist glaringly dazzling.
"Oh, Ms. Tanya, I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you. Last night, you were The Rose Queen." Cindy Lynn pursed her lips, "But Second Young Master Pierce really is clever, spending three billion and thirty million at his own store, letting the money flow into his pocket while creating enough buzz."
The Dissonance turned out to be Second Young Master Pierce’s restaurant.
Listening to Cindy Lynn talk , though it sounded like praise, was plainly reminding her that last night’s win wasn’t hers but rather Second Young Master Pierce’s spur-of-the-moment decision.
And she was just the person being toyed with on a whim.
Tanya stared at Cindy Lynn’s seemingly gentle and lovely face, suddenly stepped forward half a step, but Cindy didn’t back away, leisurely watching her with a smile not reaching her eyes. Read complete version only at n0velfire.net
Tanya took the pearl earrings the waitress had given her out of her pocket.
"These belong to you, Secretary Lynn, right?"
Cindy Lynn remained calm and composed.
"Yes, they’re mine. I accidentally dropped them last time I dined here with President Hawthorne. They were one of the birthday gifts President Hawthorne gave me last year, South Sea Australian White Pearl, priceless. Such a pity they were lost." Cindy Lynn said, smiling and reaching to take them, "Thank you, Ms. Tanya, for finding them for me."
However, Tanya flung the pearl earrings out the window.
Cindy Lynn’s smile froze, "Ms. Tanya, what do you mean by that?"
Right in front of Cindy Lynn, Tanya turned around and washed her hands, as if she’d touched something dirty.
"Secretary Lynn." Tanya glanced at Cindy Lynn from the mirror, casually took a tissue to wipe her hands, "Since you and Vincent have come to this restaurant so many times, how do the waiters and the manager address you?"
Tanya leisurely turned around.
She eyed Cindy Lynn, half-smiling, "It’s my first time here, but they respectfully call me Mrs. Hawthorne. How about you? You’ve been here dozens of times with Vincent, has he introduced you to them?"
When Tanya moved past Cindy Lynn, she paused slightly, crumpled up the used tissue, and lightly tossed it into the adjacent trash can.
"Trash needs to be sorted. Some shameless, disgraceful items should be self-aware. Jumping around like a clown is pointless." Tanya glanced at Cindy Lynn’s pale face with a smile, "Secretary Lynn, don’t you agree?"
Cindy Lynn’s hand hung at her side, clenching, her nails digging into her flesh.
Tanya naturally didn’t have the leisure to wait for her response and walked away; the warmth in her eyes dissipated, leaving only a chill.
From the moment she opened her eyes, she’d already decided to divorce Vincent Hawthorne, just waiting for the perfect moment. But until then, she was still Vincent’s legally wedded wife.
Tanya coldly laughed in her heart.
What nonsense white moonlight, just a glorified mistress.
Behind her, a private room door opened.
Julian Poole emerged, noticing that familiar silhouette disappearing around the corner, his pupils trembling as he stepped forward to chase after her.
"Senior Brother." Cindy Lynn suddenly appeared.
Julian’s steps halted abruptly, turning his head to look at Cindy Lynn walking over.
Cindy Lynn also noticed Julian’s odd behavior and asked with concern, "What’s wrong?"
"...Nothing." Julian waved it off, "I must have mistaken her for someone else."
He had already made the same mistake once at Marinus Park.
How could Tanya possibly be here?
"Let’s go inside then."
Julian took one last glance at the corner where the woman disappeared, retracting his gaze, and followed Cindy Lynn back to the private room.
"Senior Brother Poole, thank you so much today." Cindy Lynn raised her glass to Julian in thanks, "If it weren’t for you, a computer genius, I might not have cracked the triple security lock on that supercomputer until next month."