Chapter 499 It Was Too Late
The three of them walked out of the restaurant after finishing their meal and stood at the entrance to say goodbye.
"Ms. Ximena, I'll leave the dress to you," Alfonso's sister said politely.
"You're welcome. I'll email you the design draft later," Rachel replied with a smile. "
Just as she finished speaking, she saw Nicholas's car parked across the street. She turned to say goodbye to the two, and as the light turned green, she hurriedly jogged across the crosswalk towards the car.
Nicholas saw her coming and quickly got out to open the car door for her. After making sure she was safely inside, he got back into the driver's seat and drove off.
Alfonso and his sister were still standing there, watching the car drive away. Alfonso's sister turned to him and said deliberately, "Well, someone was a step too late. She has a boyfriend now, and he looks tall and handsome, with a nice car, not worse than you."
Alfonso knocked her on the head. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Then he turned and walked towards the parking lot.
The young girl followed her brother, sticking out her tongue at him. "Admit it, you were stunned when you heard she had a boyfriend."
"Don't talk nonsense, or you'll go home," Alfonso said, quickening his pace.
The young girl made a mocking gesture at his back and followed him, but she didn't say anything more. After all, there wasn't much left to say. Her brother hadn't even started dating and was already heartbroken.
Alfonso couldn't quite describe how he felt. He wassomewhat lost and a bit confused. He had met Rachel in the university choir. She was a junior when they met, always with a ponytail, either reading a book or rushing around with a backpack. Honestly, she was the kind of person who would blend into a crowd, and he hadn't paid much attention to her, just knew she was in the choir.
After graduation, he had joined a friend's company and unexpectedly ran into her during an interview. She was still wearing a ponytail but dressed in a well-fitted suit. She was quite competent, as her academic performance had been decent. He hired her, and she didn't disappoint. She was very capable and hardworking, never seen with any guys, and working with her was efficient because she was always serious, unlike some other girls who would try to get close to him.
Later, when he started his own business, he had taken her along. The early days of a startup were tough, and Rachel had worked harder than the guys.
Of course, he compensated her well for her efforts.
She was always thorough, handling everything for him, saving him a lot of trouble. Eventually, she said she wanted to resign and start a fashion design studio with a friend.
He hadn't thought it would work out, as she had no experience in that field, and starting a business is never easy.
But she insisted on leaving. He offered her a severance package as a reward for her years of hard work. He remembered clearly how she stood straight in his office, refusing the money, saying, "I've received my salary over the years. I'm resigning voluntarily and don't need severance pay."
After she left, Alfonso had hired several assistants, but none could compare to her. It took two people to barely manage the work she used to handle alone. He had thought about asking her to come back, but seeing her successfully start her studio, he gave up on the idea.
He couldn't keep her by his side forever.
It was said that cream rose to the top. So, he used his connections to introduce some business to her. Watching her succeed made him happy and proud.
Over the years, he knew she hadn't been with anyone, and he hadn't dated either, partly because he wasn't interested in it and was too busy. His mom had been urging him to go on blind dates in the holidays days before, and during the dates, he couldn't help but compare the girls he met to Rachel. None of them measured up to her, and he realized this was a serious problem.
Being a man of action, he found an excuse to meet her as soon as he got off the plane, only to find she was already with someone else. It seemed he was already a step too late.
Alfonso stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, the room dark, a cigarette in his hand. The cigarette's glow flickered, and a long ash fell, burning his hand before he noticed.
Maybe what had kept him oblivious to his feelings was Rachel's eyes, always looking at him with pure, unclouded intent, without a trace of affection.
In that case, he wished her happiness.
Love was like that; everything had to be just right.
When Rachel and Nicholas got back, she found out he hadn't had dinner.
"Why didn't you eat? If I had known, I wouldn't have let you pick me up. I could have taken a cab. Let me make you some pasta," Rachel said, feeling a bit guilty and concerned.
"I'm not hungry. I had some bread at the office this afternoon," Nicholas explained, holding her hand, not wanting to see her guilty expression.
"You go pack your things. I'll cook," he said, heading to the kitchen.
Rachel pulled him back. "I've already packed. I came back at noon. Let me do it. You go take a shower."
"Okay." Nicholas had been busy on his first day at work, especially since it was a big company, and as the boss, he couldn't slack off. He grabbed his pajamas and went to shower.
Rachel smiled as she watched him go to the bedroom for his pajamas, then went into the kitchen, put on an apron, and started cooking. Soon, the pasta was ready on the table.
Nicholas came out in his pajamas and sat down "Rachel, the pasta must be good."
"You haven't even tasted it yet," Rachel said, a bit embarrassed.
"It smells great and looks delicious," Nicholas said, picking up his fork and starting to eat, nodding as he ate. "It's really good."
"I'm going to shower," Rachel said, escaping.
Nicholas's compliments were too much.
That night, as they lay in bed, Rachel couldn't sleep. She was a bit nervous about meeting his parents.
Nicholas noticed she had turned over several times. "Rachel, can't sleep?"
"Yeah, did I wake you?" Rachel replied softly, moving away a bit, trying not to disturb Nicholas.
Nicholas felt her movement and extended his arm to pull her into his embrace. "Are you nervous?" He had been nervous when he met Rachel's family, so he understood.
"Yeah, a little," Rachel admitted.
"Don't be nervous. You're beautiful, have a great personality, and are successful. My family already loves you just from your photos. They even said I was lucky to find someone like you and that I don't deserve you," Nicholas comforted her.
"I'm not that great," Rachel said, embarrassed by the praise.
"You're even better," Nicholas said seriously.
Rachel lay in his arms, listening to their heartbeats, and soon felt sleepy. She fell asleep not long after.
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