Chapter 212
Hendrix wasn’t sure if such a law really existed in the world–a law that claimed the more one worried about something happening, the more inevitable its occurrence. Similarly, the more one tried to avoid seeing someone, the more certain it became that they would cross paths.
At that moment, Hendrix was staring expressionlessly at the woman not far away. Noelle’s outfit today was simple yet elegant–a light blue shirt paired with a black skirt. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and her makeup was much more understated than the night before
But the smile on her face was genuine. She was laughing as she spoke to the man in front of her, and the entire atmosphere was one of warmth and happiness.
“Mr. Freeman?” Clayton Hayes asked hesitantly, standing beside Hendrix and still waiting for his instructions, when he noticed Hendrix had suddenly stopped walking.
Hendrix tried to take a step forward, but for some reason, his feet felt unbearably heavy. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t take a single step.
“Isn’t that Mr. Russo?” asked Clayton after he followed Hendrix’s gaze and finally spotted Dominic ahead.
Dominic, who had been toasting and chatting with Noelle, also heard the question. As soon as he saw Hendrix, he immediately stood up. “Mr. Freeman!”
Noelle had actually spotted Hendrix before he did, but she didn’t say anything about it.
Hendrix noticed she was frowning slightly, as if she hadn’t expected to run into him here–or perhaps she simply didn’t want to greet him. But no matter what she was thinking, she eventually stood up and greeted him with a smile, “Hello, Mr. Freeman.”
“Mr. Freeman, you’re here for dinner, too? What a coincidence!” Dominic quickly walked over to Hendrix. “We just got here as well. If you don’t mind, why not join us at our table?”
“Well…” Η
Before Hendrix could say anything, a frown had already forthed on Clayton’s forehead, and he clearly appeared uncomfortable. After all, Hendrix wasn’t going to be in Vinton City for long, and arranging this dinner with him had been no easy task.
Thus, it was only natural for Clayton to feel displeased at being suddenly interrupted. However, with Hendrix still present, he didn’t feel comfortable turning down the offer.
But just as he was thinking about how to navigate the situation, Noelle suddenly spoke up, “Mr. Freeman, Mr. Hayes, both of you must have important matters to attend to, so we won’t keep you any-
As soon as Noelle said that, Clayton gave her a look of genuine gratitude. But before she could finish her sentence, Hendrix suddenly cut in, “Then, let’s all sit together.”
His reply caught everyone off guard. Not only Noelle and Clayton, but even Dominic was surprised. After all, he had extended the invitation merely out of courtesy, never expecting Hendrix to actually accept.
Noticing Dominic’s reaction, Hendrix asked, “Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all,” replied Dominic quickly. He then signaled the waiter to rearrange the seating. Thus, they were moved from the public dining hall to a private dining room.
Hendrix and Clayton were there for business, each accompanied by their assistants and secretaries. As a result, the ten–person table was filled to the brim once everyone had settled down in their seats.
Noelle had only attended the dinner at Dominic’s invitation They had just signed a partnership agreement between their companies, so the dinner was just about maintaining that business relationship. To her, it wasn’t particularly essential.
But for Clayton, it was a different matter altogether. With two unrelated guests at the table, he was likely wondering whether to continue with the business conversation or not. Not wanting to offend anyone unnecessarily, Noelle decided that she would find an excuse to step away to the restroom later.
