Chapter 171 The Grand Opening of Her Studio
Olivia’s studio was officially open for business today. Therefore, she put on a traditional-looking red designer gown in hopes that it would bring out her curves.
Just as she stepped out of her house, she noticed Eugene standing at the entrance. He was dressed in formal wear as usual but looked slightly different. For example, he chose to wear a red tie as if he wanted to match her attire. Even the diamond cufflinks on his cuffs looked formal.
After scanning his appearance, she belatedly realized that she knew a lot about him. How did she even notice the color of his tie and the style of his cufflinks? He had been lying low for a few days, which made her believe that he decided to ignore her after her rejection. However, she was not used to his absence during that time. Smiling, she greeted him, “Morning!”
Eugene replied, “Good morning. You must be very busy these days.”
She replied with the same smile, “It’s not too bad. I have help.”
He nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.” In fact, he had been waiting at the spot for some time. After his official confession of love to her, they did not have many opportunities to talk. He was worried that she might feel awkward and stop coming around for a few days. Thankfully, he had a solid excuse today to meet her.
“Uncle Eugene!” North looked up at him with a smile and greeted him.
The man grunted a reply and reached out to caress the kid’s hair. The little fellow was dressed in a dark-colored suit with a red bow tie at the collar, looking cooler than anyone else.
After leaving the house, Eugene told Olivia that she should not be driving because, as the host, she might need to drink. With that, he successfully persuaded her to enter his car. In the same space, he felt an illusion of a family of three on a road trip.
North was excited about the journey. His round and dark eyes darted between Eugene, the driver, and his mom with an unexplainable enthusiasm.
“Mommy, when the school break is here, let’s go on a trip.”
Olivia nodded. “Sure. Where do you want to go?”
“When it’s school break, I want to go skiing.”
“Okay.”
“Uncle Eugene needs to come with us.”
Olivia reflexively stole a glance at Eugene. His deep gaze was fixated on the roads in front, his thick lashes occasionally fluttering. His thin lips were tightly pursed, and the rugged lines of his jaw perfected his side profile. To be honest, she had always thought he was handsome, and he treated her very well too. She was thinking a lot about Kate’s words, but she did not have the courage to add her burden to him. It was impossible for a woman like her, who grew up deprived of love, to bring him happiness. Or so she thought. “Uncle Eugene is busy.”
Eugene had been observing her expression from the rear-view mirror, her face cold and stern. He was confused as to why she looked unhappy even after he had left her alone for days. “I have time,” he chimed in.
Olivia was taken aback. “Huh?”
“When you want to go on the trip, just let me know. I have time,” he patiently elaborated.
North’s eyes were smiling, admiring his dad for being smart and sensible. “Uncle Eugene, you must keep your promise.”
Eugene met North’s eyes via the mirror and winked at the little boy, feeling grateful for the tiny cupid. He calmly promised, “I will not go against my promise.”
Olivia was speechless at their interaction. At that moment, she wanted to renege on her promise to take her son on a trip.
“Mommy, look!” North suddenly pointed at a huge billboard outside the car window, on which a sentence was printed. It read: Congratulations on the grand opening of Olivia Maxwell’s studio!
She stared agape at the billboard for some time and racked her brains only to confirm that she had never placed any ads on the billboards. When they cruised down the road, they saw even more billboards that were similar to the first one. It seemed that the billboards in the entire city were displaying the same video clip. The clip displayed the new studio’s interior and went on to showcase an assortment of clothes, ending with the congratulatory sentence.
