Chapter 30 She is Dating Someone Else

In the conference room, they could hear a pin drop. No one dared to breathe too loudly.

Each department took turns giving their reports. Henry sat at the head of the table, looking like a storm cloud, as the managers nervously went over the project updates and issues.

Henry didn't hold back. He tore into the managers, picking apart every problem and detail.

The managers shot desperate looks at Ethan, but he just shook his head, unable to help.

Meanwhile, Alice slipped into a white T-shirt, a light blue pleated skirt, and silver flats. She grabbed a cake box and headed out.

Twenty minutes later, Alice was in the lobby of the Howard Group building.

Without an appointment, she couldn't go upstairs. So, she texted Ethan: [I made a cake for Uncle Henry and want to bring it up.]

Ethan's eyes lit up when he saw the message. He'd had enough of the tense conference room for the past two hours.

He got up and whispered something to Henry.

Henry's stern look softened a bit. He checked his watch. "Meeting adjourned."

With that, Henry stood up and left.

Ethan was thrilled. He knew Alice was special to Henry!

Everyone else was just confused but relieved.

Ethan went downstairs to meet Alice. "Miss Savoy, you're here."

Alice smiled, "Did Uncle Henry let me come up? If it's a hassle, you can just give it to him for me."

Ethan noticed Alice, usually in sportswear, was in a skirt today and looked like she'd put in some effort.

Since Henry hadn't said Alice couldn't come up, she could.

Seeing Ethan lost in thought, Alice figured Henry didn't want to see her and wanted to keep things clear.

Not wanting to bother Ethan, she handed over the cake box. "Mr. Ross, please give this to Uncle Henry. I just wanted to thank him for making sure Sarah and Clara got what they deserved. I have to go now."

With that, she quickly walked away.

Ethan didn't know what Alice was thinking and just assumed she had something urgent.

He shrugged and took the elevator back up.

Ethan placed the cake box on Henry's desk.

Henry thought Alice would come up. He couldn't tell if he felt relieved or disappointed, but there was a strange feeling in his heart.

Even though she had wronged him, he felt a bit happy hearing she had come to deliver a cake.

He even wanted to hear her explanation.

Ethan repeated Alice's words and then left.

Henry looked at the fancy cake box, smelling the rich chocolate aroma.

He opened it and saw a delicate cake, similar to Rupert's.

But it seemed a bit different. This one looked bigger than Rupert's.

Henry picked up a fork and took a bite. The crispy hazelnut chocolate melted in his mouth, leaving a lingering taste. Despite not being a fan of sweets, he finished it all, wanting more.

It was said that chocolate could make you happy, and it was true.

Henry felt a lot of his earlier frustration melt away.

His phone screen lit up with messages in the group chat.

Henry opened it and saw Rupert had posted a picture.

In the picture, Alice's eyes were bright, her lips red and beautiful, with a high ponytail showing off her smooth forehead.

Henry remembered Ethan mentioning Alice had dressed up today and seemed to have left in a hurry.

So Alice had a date with Rupert!

Henry sneered, feeling like his actions last night and today were pointless and ridiculous.

He stifled his sneer, his face turning serious.

Looking at the empty cake box with the lone fork inside, he picked them up and tossed them straight into the trash.

At the Royal Orchid Restaurant.

After ordering, the waiter left.

Rupert smiled, "Alice, what a coincidence running into you at the Howard Group today."

Rupert had wanted to snap a photo to share his joy with Henry, but then he thought it'd be better to share it with everyone.

Unexpectedly, he ran into Alice, who was about to grab a cab.

Since it was mealtime, Rupert offered to treat her to lunch.

Alice felt that just giving a cake seemed a bit stingy, so she decided to treat him to a meal, leading to them dining at the Royal Orchid Restaurant.

Rupert said, "I'll treat this time, and you can treat me next time."

Next time?

Alice didn't want any further contact with him. She had embarrassed herself last night by using him to test Henry and wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Rupert smiled, "Miss Savoy, you look really beautiful today."

"Just call me Alice." Alice had dressed up a bit, swapping her jeans for a pleated skirt, to deliver the cake to Henry.

But since Henry didn't want to see her, it didn't matter how pretty she looked. The cake she made might have ended up in the trash.

Alice gave a faint smile and said thank you.

"Did you go to the Howard Group to see Henry?"

Alice nodded. "Just a small matter."

Rupert's eyes lit up. "You can come to me if you need anything. I'll always be available for you."

Alice looked at him seriously. "Mr. Astor, I wanted to thank you for deleting those news articles and comments and standing up for me on Twitter. But I can only thank you. I hope we can be good friends."

Just good friends, nothing romantic.

This was the first time Rupert had been rejected by a woman. Although he was a bit annoyed, he still smiled, "I admire you."

"This is only our second meeting. I don't think there's anything about me worth admiring. I'm not playing hard to get. I'm just being honest. You're great and will find someone better suited for you."

Alice's eyes were clear and sincere, and Rupert couldn't see any deceit in them. Her firm tone gave him a sense of defeat. Rupert started to doubt his charm, but he was also genuinely attracted to Alice's unique aura.

Who said she was a country bumpkin?

To him, she looked elegant and graceful, like a goddess.

With sincerity, he believed he could win her over. Friends could slowly become girlfriends.

He wouldn't give up easily on someone he liked.

After the meal, Rupert went to pay the bill, only to be told Alice had already paid.

This was the first time a woman had treated him, and he felt quite surprised.

Rupert looked at Alice. "Since you treated for dinner, I'll be your knight and take you home."

Alice felt that since she had made herself clear, refusing again would seem pretentious, so she nodded and agreed.

She didn't want Rupert to know she lived in Bluewater Bay, so she had him stop at the entrance of a neighborhood a mile away.

"We haven't reached the neighborhood yet."

Alice smiled, "It's okay, I ate a bit much and need some exercise."

Rupert nodded as he waved his phone. "Alright, text me when you get home."

"Okay, drive safely." Alice got out of the car, waved, then walked into the neighborhood.

Seeing Rupert's car merge into traffic, she turned back and walked along the pedestrian street towards Bluewater Bay.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded behind her.