Dorothy had no doubt in her mind about Everett's sincerity. Unfortunately, the real culprits behind all this mess were his parents, not Heather.
"I said | wanted to see him alone." She had decided not to lean on Everett for support.
"Alright... I'l wait outside for you." Everett stepped back, watched her enter the building, then turned to lean against his car. He pulled out a cigarette from its pack, placed it between his lips, and lit it.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHis phone buzzed with a stream of work emails.
Most of them were urgent, but Everett couldn't possibly leave now! [Meeting postponed. You need to get the documents stamped. Tell them you have my approval.] [Understood, Mr. Lopez.] Kevin was meticulous and rarely made mistakes. Everett trusted him.
Everett got a cushion from his car and found a step to sit on. Lowering his gaze, he began to reply to the messages that needed his immediate attention.
Before long, Kevin was on the phone again.
"Mr. Lopez, are you not coming back to the office today?" With a cigarette between his fingers, Everett took a drag. "Not sure. Proceed as if I'm not." There was a pause on the other end before Kevin acknowledged.
"If there's something on your mind, just spit it out.” Everett knew Kevin had something more to say.
Kevin chuckled nervously before venturing, "You already know about the kids and they have been confirmed. So why not just come clean with Ms. Sanchez? You've taken over East Star Enterprises, and Ms. Sanchez has obediently returned to her job." At the mention of Dorothy, Everett arched his eyebrows arch, with his tone tinged with rare frustration, "If | lay all my cards on the table now, she'd bolt faster than a rabbit to never let me find her again." "Then why not keep tabs on her? She can't slip away right under your watch." "She'll be living in constant fear. With the weight on her heart, if | push too hard, she'll only look to flee from me further.” Dealing with someone like Dorothy, who lacked a sense of security, required a gradual infiltration.
Just as the saying goes, the watched pot never boils.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmDorothy was not as meek as she looked like. Inside, she was fiercely stubborn. To enter her heart, he needed to gain her trust and consent. Otherwise, she was the type to rather see everything destroyed than yield.
Right now, the person most anxious to reel in Dorothy and keep her by his side forever was Everett. Hadn't he already considered the suggestions of Kevin? Taking over East Star Enterprises had already escalated Dorothy's anxiety. Any rash move now would stimulate Dorothy to flee! As for the probing attempt he'd made earlier, Dorothy would likely spend days tossing and turning over it.
Sometimes Everett felt that Dorothy's sense of security was even less than that of a child! He himself had to weigh every option before making a decision.
Everett wished he could be impulsive, play the domineering CEO, and simply lock her by his side. But that approach would drive Dorothy insane.
"Mr. Lopez, you really have it tough..." Kevin couldn't help but express his sympathy and admiration for his patience.
If it were Kevin, he would have immediately gone to fetch the kids and then forcefully taken her to register their marriage.
"You know what? Sometimes | think | should just be content with what | have." Back when he had a secret crush on Dorothy with his confession unanswered, he had hoped that one day she would become his girlfriend, even if just for a day.