Chapter 42
Tobias held Lisette’s hand the whole way, his warm palm easing the bite of Veridia’s winter night. Somehow, the cold didn’t feel so sharp anymore.
But still p>
Just before hopping out of the car, Lisette glanced over at him, genuinely curious. “We didn’t make a single turn though, did we p>
After he grabbed her hand, the ride had been smooth all the way – green lights and a straight shot to the place.
Tobias let go of her hand, his voice calm as ever. “I don’t know the roads here, figured we’d have to turn somewhere p>
Lisette paused for a second. Fair enough p>
He wasn’t from Veridia, and Elliot was the one driving anyway – it made sense he’d be unfamiliar with the route. Plus, she had to admit, he wasn’t just randomly grabbing her hand for no reason.
And let’s be real… they were married, wedding and all, paperwork stamped and sealed. Even if he did want to get a little flirty, would that really be out of line?
They got out of the car and headed into the Japanese restaurant.
Elliot, being a bit of a foodie and Tobias’s go-to food rec guy, asked Lisette what she wanted, then politely left to give them space.
Maybe it was because of her random question in the car, but Tobias hadn’t said a word since they arrived. The silence was kind of awkward.
Lisette couldn’t stand it anymore and tossed out a conversation starter. “So, New Year’s break is coming up – any plans p>
“You p>
She raised an eyebrow. “Hey, I asked you first p>
Tobias gave a small shrug. “I’ll just go with whatever you’re doing p>
Lisette:!!! Mr. Hastings, what did you just say? That was… unexpectedly sweet? Not your usual vibe!
As he met her playful cat-like eyes, Tobias explained, “I’ve been swamped with work, holidays don’t really register for me p>
Lisette clicked her tongue and teased, “No time off, huh? You really are a textbook workaholic. Do you even have a life p>
She blinked, then grinned, a little spark lighting her up. Suddenly, she felt kinda sorry for him. Obviously, she had to take the lead now-
She gave her chest a bold pat. “From now on, I’ll be the one dragging you around on holidays-adventures, crazy sights, the whole shebang p>
A rare softness settled over Tobias’s features. “Sure. You take the lead, I’ve got the cards. Wherever we go – even to the ends of the earth – you choose, I’ll cover p>
Lisette let out a laugh. “Tobias, that was smooth! Where’d you learn that from p>
“As long as you’re happy p>
“Well duh! With you footing the bill so generously, how could I not be p>
With the banter warming them up, the mood felt a lot more relaxed. But then, Tobias brought up something unexpected. “Back in school, who was that guy p>
“Huh p>
The abrupt shift caught Lisette off guard for a second.
Realizing he meant Lennox, she sighed dramatically. “Oh, that? Just a teenage crush, nothing serious p>
She rested her chin on her hand and said, “I guess when you’ve had your fill of rich dishes, suddenly a bowl of plain salad looks extra appealing p>
Lisette thought back with a faraway look. “Yeah, I liked him back then. He was all studious and talented, played basketball, strummed a guitar – couldn’t really sing to save his life though. But he had that whole sunny energy thing going for him p>
Sure, he turned out to be full of himself and kind of insufferable later, but at the time… it had felt real to her.
Lisette’s voice was soft, her tone gentle, eyes shimmering like water under light. A soft blush crept up her pale cheeks-proof enough she’d really fallen for him once.
Tobias’s gaze darkened slightly. A swirl of unfamiliar jealousy rose in his chest. He reached out and casually adjusted his shirt, rolling up the sleeves before the food even arrived.
“He’s not that great p>
His tone was blunt, like he didn’t bother dressing it up.
Lisette looked up from her thoughts, tugged at the corner of her lips. “Yeah, I know. It’s all in the past, everyone’s had a phase or two p>
Tobias furrowed his brow slightly.
Right then, the sushi was served. Just as Lisette picked up her fork to dig in, he suddenly said out of nowhere, “I haven’t p>
“Hmm p>
Her mouth was already full, and the random comment just sounded like background noise. Thinking he was missing a set of utensils, she handed over her own fork without even looking.
A beat later she realized – wait, she’d already used those. She quickly reached out to take them back.
But Tobias didn’t let her. Instead, he calmly placed the used ones down, picked up a pair of fresh, unopened ones from his side, and handed them to her. Then, with his usual composed and distant vibe, he began eating like nothing happened.
Lisette stared at the pair of unused fork, then looked back at his ridiculously good-looking face.
Wait a sec. What’s going on here, Mr. Hastings?
Lisette tried putting two and two together and landed on one questionable theory: did he just… like her saliva?
But p>
How was she supposed to ask that? “Hey, are you into secondhand fork? Want me to spit on your food next time p>
Yeah, no. That mental image was way too real – it’d tank whatever dignity she had left. He’d probably block her number on the spot.
So, Lisette wisely chose to drop it and just kept eating.
As she slowly got her appetite back, the whole incident faded from her mind. She started eating more happily again, and Tobias, surprisingly, matched her pace and even ate a bit more than usual.
Full and a little sluggish, Lisette dozed off the moment they got into the car, totally oblivious to Tobias subtly signaling Elliot.
Elliot’s eyes twitched ever so slightly.
What was the boss’s deal now? What did that Lennox guy do this time to get two back-to-back hits from the usually calm, “I-only-do-boardrooms-not-street-fights” CEO?
And this time he’s going straight for the face?
Oof.
Elliot rubbed his nose, already mourning Lennox’s dignity in advance.
Back at Veridia University, the Twin Fest just wrapped up perfectly, but the forums were still ablaze. Every thread was breaking down who scored what during the big event:
Second performance? Grace landed a female lead in a major movie. Director’s a heavy hitter – his films always rake in awards and cash. With Grace pegged as his next star, she was basically rocketing to stardom overnight.
Third to perform? Amber. If Grace hit the jackpot, Amber hit rock bottom. Not sure what strings she pulled to barely get her stage time, but the moment she ticked off Tobias, it was game over. No brand or sponsor would go near her now.
Eighth on stage – Bella, Lucy, Clara? Just signed with Pulse Entertainment, rumors are they’re getting launched into the next talent show lineup. If they play their cards right and go full throttle with the company’s plans, they might just snag a fanbase and kickstart their careers.
The comment section was basically a sea of keyboard warriors sending waves of congratulations. All the rising stars were pulling all-nighters, grinning while replying under their own burner accounts.
Still, no matter how hard Group Favorites? tried to keep the threads alive, most of them cooled down after just one night.
Then bam – next day, a wild gossip post appeared and stole the spotlight-
[Deep Dive: The Romance Saga of Debut Star Lisette]