Chapter 227
Liam nodded at her departure, "Yeah, go ahead."
Diana smiled gently, turned, and walked away.
"Wait a second." However, as she took a step to leave, Liam's rich, melodic voice stopped her in her tracks.
She halted, turning back. "Did you need something else, Liam?"
Without a word, Liam stood up from his executive chair, circled his desk, and approached her.
As he drew closer, Diana's heart pounded tumultuously, her breaths becoming erratic.
Under her anxious yet hopeful gaze, Liam reached out. But his hand went to her back instead of what she might have anticipated.
Twisting her head, she saw it was just a strand of her hair that had fallen onto her back, which Liam was now removing.
"All set now, off you go!" he said warmly, a smile playing on his lips after disposing of the hair.
"Thank you!" Diana managed to maintain her composure as she expressed her gratitude before hastily exiting the room.
Once she was gone, Liam looked at the strand of hair in his hand, tossed it into the trash can, and then returned to his paperwork at the desk.
Emerging from Liam's office, Diana made a beeline for the restroom.
Standing by the sink, she looked at her flushed reflection in the mirror, patted her cheeks, and took a deep breath.
Liam didn't seem to be a heartless man.
‘Surely, he would accept the child growing inside her, wouldn’t he?’ Diana questioned herself.
‘If he accepted her unborn child, did that mean he would accept mine too?’
This thought unfurled a wave of unprecedented bliss in the depths of her heart.
Becoming Liam's girlfriend was a dream she'd never imagined.
She hoped that this time, her wishes would be fulfilled.
Taking another deep breath, Diana washed her hands, patted her still-flushed cheeks, and left to return to her work.
She and Liam were off to the event at seven in the evening.
They were set to meet with the key leaders from River North for a pivotal city project. The Evans Group couldn't afford to lose this deal, which is why Liam had arranged this crucial dinner for the night.
What Liam and Diana didn't see coming was that a certain high-profile Mr. Yellen had brought his daughter to the dinner gathering.
"Hey Liam, I'm Tessa, a freshman at the language academy of River North University. I've heard so much about you for a long time, and I've always wanted to meet you in person. I finally got the chance today!" Without needing an introduction, Mr. Yellen's daughter stood up, extended her hand to Liam with a pure and sweet smile, and introduced herself. One could see nothing but respect and adoration for Liam in her bright, admiring eyes.
Standing right behind Liam, Diana watched the college freshman Tessa, barely nineteen, and felt an unfamiliar sense of unease welling up inside her.
This girl was stunning, so fresh-faced, with a natural glow to her skin that spoke of youth. Her eyes, large and sparkling, had cute dimples that revealed themselves when she smiled. She was tall and slender. Despite her young age, she had a striking figure.
And importantly, her name was Tessa, a River North University Language Academy student no less.
"It's an honor to be favored by Miss Yellen," Liam responded, his mind unexpectedly flashing back to when he first met Teresa. But unlike Teresa, Tessa was more proactive and enthusiastic toward him.
‘Tessa, what a lovely name.’ He liked it.
Yet, his face betrayed none of these thoughts. He showed no undue emotion, not even in his eyes. Calmly extending his hand, he maintained his usual composed and detached demeanor, gently grasping Tessa's offered hand.
"Ha... Liam, can I add you on, um, like Facebook or something? Otherwise, no one will believe me when I say we've met," Tessa said with playful flair, her bright eyes twinkling as she made the request.
"Tessa, where's your modesty, young lady?" Mr. Yellen lightly scolded his daughter, his voice carrying mild blame, but his eyes were full of indulgence. Then, turning to Liam, he said, "Liam, she's my only daughter, and I admit, I've spoiled her. Please don't mind her."
"Far from it. Miss Yellen is straightforward and genuine. It's rare to find someone so unguarded these days who can boldly speak their mind," Liam said with a light smile, retrieving his phone and opening his app, "Sure, Miss Yellen, let’s do this."
"Mmm, fantastic. You really are a straight shooter, even better than I expected!" Tessa beamed like a kid on Christmas morning, swiftly unlocking her phone and tapping on her app to add Liam’s contact.
Diana stood quietly behind Liam, watching their interaction with a silent urge to speak. Yet, nothing came out.
What could she say, anyway? As a mere assistant, she had no place to comment on her boss's social life. No standing at all.
After Liam and Tessa exchanged contact information, they exchanged pleasantries before taking their seats at the table. Whether by design or coincidence, Tessa was seated right beside Liam, while Diana, in her role as an assistant, wasn't afforded a prominent seat and instead sat across from them.
