Without thinking, she grabbed a clean spoon, scooped up a bite of the rich dessert, and held it to his lips.
Dane's dark eyes locked onto hers for a breathless second before he parted his lips and took the bite.
"How is it?" she asked eagerly.
"It's alright," he said with a slight nod.
Coming from a man with his exacting standards, 'alright' was practically high praise.
Across the dining room, his executive team was seated at a discreet distance, though they kept stealing glances.
The female staff were already green with envy watching the notoriously unapproachable CEO peel shrimp for his fiancée.
When Claire fed him directly from her spoon, Stella let out a stifled gasp. "The chemistry is insane!"
The sheer physical perfection of the couple outshone any Hollywood romance.
"When she fed him, I swear there were literal sparks flying."
The men at the table felt the overwhelming romantic tension too, though they played it much cooler.
It was undeniably clear that the boss was entirely consumed by the woman sitting across from him.
Proving why they were his handpicked inner circle, not a single employee dared to pull out their phone to snap a photo, maintaining their utmost professional discretion.
Once the initial shock wore off, the table's conversation naturally pivoted back to the west side redevelopment.
If their boss was going all in, it was their job to secure a flawless acquisition and map out the development.
They were the vanguard of this operation; they couldn't afford to disappoint him, nor could they let rival departments steal their thunder.
Back at the window table, Claire and Dane didn't linger over their meal.
They still had to drop off food for her aunt at the hospital.
Instead of taking food from the hotel, Claire browsed online reviews and found a highly-rated local restaurant nearby famous for a few signature dishes.
She grabbed two takeout bags, and Dane accompanied her on the drive to the hospital.
But their timing couldn't have been
into the hospital lobby, they ran straight into Cindy
nene moment they steppedet
Cindy's eyes lit up—not at the sight of Claire, but at the strikingly handsome man standing beside her.
"Claire!" Cindy called out without a second of hesitation, marching right up to them. Despite addressing her sister, Cindy's predatory gaze remained glued to Dane. Claire had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.
Dane's magnetism was undeniable, but she couldn't help but wonder if Cindy had completely forgotten about York.
Claire met her gaze coolly. "What do you want?"
The icy dismissal made Cindy choke on her next words. "I... I just assumed you
were here to visit my brother?"
"I'm not," Claire replied flatly.
Cindy bit the inside of her cheek, irritated by Claire's impenetrable hostility.
She had shown up at the hospital carrying hot food and wasn't even going to check on her own flesh and blood.
She was completely heartless.
"I really thought you came to see him. He talks about you all the time. Aren't you even going to drop by?"
"After all, you two..." Cindy pressed, letting a dramatic, sorrowful pause hang in the
air.
She herself, feigning instant
regret. I'm sorry, Claire. I'm not
trying to guilt-trip you. He just really misses you." t FindNovel.net
Without leaving room for a response, she immediately pivoted all her attention to the billionaire.
"You must be Mr. Green, right? I'm Cindy. I don't know if you remember me, but we met back at The James Village."
"I don't."
When Dane wanted to be ruthless, he left zero room for pleasantries.
His voice was absolute ice, and he didn't even spare her a second glance.
Humiliation burned in Cindy's chest, but she forced a sickeningly sweet smile That's alright. By the way that Agarwood pillow you bought? I actually slept on that every night growing up."