Chapter 249

I nodded right away. "Of course, I want to see him. Asher landed this project, and I gotta congratulate him in person. This is our first time meeting since the bidding."

I jumped up, ready to head out.

Royce wasn't too happy about it. He scoffed, "You're way more excited to see Asher than me. That's messed up."

"Asher's like an older brother who watched me grow up. You're just my high school buddy. Don't get ahead of yourself, Royce!"

He frowned but kept quiet. He opened the door for me without a word.

We walked out together, and I told Royce not to follow me. If Savannah and the others saw us, they'd definitely start gossiping.

But Royce wasn't having it. "First, you give me the cold shoulder, and now you don't want me to walk with you?"

"You're too much, Caroline. Use me and then toss me aside, is that it?"

His words made me feel like a total drama queen. I was a bit taken aback.

Seeing his determined look, I knew he wouldn't let me go without an explanation.

I sighed and waved him over.

He came over like a puppy, offering his cheek. His contrasting demeanor made me smile.

I gave him a quick peck on the cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Is that enough? Can I go now?"

Royce shook his head and pointed to his lips. "Not enough."

I pushed him away. "Cut it out. Don't forget we have nothing going on right now. Stop trying to take advantage!"

With that, I pushed him aside and walked into the venue.

I remembered Savannah, Kathy, and Yvonne were together before I left. Now, Savannah and Kathy were sitting on a couch, and Yvonne was nowhere to be seen.

Asher was chatting with others, so I decided to wait until he was free.

I headed over to Savannah and Kathy.

"What happened? Weren't you with Yvonne earlier?"

"Yvonne's got a weak psyche. I said a few things, and she ran to the bathroom," Kathy said, slowly eating a piece of fruit.

Savannah nodded. "Caroline, you should've seen Kathy. She was amazing."

"She had Yvonne so flustered she couldn't even respond."

I was a bit worried. "You guys should tone it down. After all, she's Royce's friend and was invited here. As my friends, you should be good hosts, not scare people away."

"So what? She was eyeing our host's man. I was just defending my friend," Kathy said, unapologetic.

I thought of Royce's earlier behavior and felt a bit embarrassed. "What man? Don't start rumors."

They immediately caught on. "By the way, Royce went to the lounge earlier. Judging by your lovestruck look, you two must've made some progress, right?"

"Did you clear up the misunderstanding? He and Yvonne really have nothing going on, right?"

Honestly, I hadn't even asked about it. I hadn't even considered it.

I trusted Royce so much that I never doubted him.

"Cut it out. He didn't mention it. I was just tired and needed a break."

"Doesn't look like it..." Kathy said, giving me a knowing look.

"Looks like someone's falling in love again..."

I playfully swatted her arm. "Kathy, your mouth is so annoying. Want me to kick you out?"

She laughed and didn't say anything more.

Just then, Asher walked over.

He had just finished chatting with his friends and saw me, so he came over.

"Caroline!"

"Asher!"

He called out, and I excitedly responded, standing up.

He raised his arms and walked over, giving me a big hug.

"Congratulations, Asher! I knew you could do it!"

"This project was made for you! Once it's done, our company will reach new heights!"

Asher nodded firmly. "Of course. This is your company too, so you deserve credit."

I quickly waved my hand. "I didn't participate at all this time. You did all the work. It has nothing to do with me."

Asher was being modest. I knew how much he had sacrificed for this project, even losing some muscle.

He smiled and scratched his head, not saying anything.

"By the way, this project still has some steps to go. I'll be in Suncrest City for another ten days or so. We can hang out more."

I nodded. "Yeah, after the celebration tonight, we won't leave until we're drunk. You can't escape!"

"Can you even drink now?" Asher asked with a smile.

I nodded. "Don't worry. I can handle it."

"That's great. It's been a while since we drank together."

I nodded, reminiscing about the old days.

Back then, I hadn't had kids yet. After work, we'd always go out drinking together.

Those were the happiest times. We felt young and ambitious, ready to conquer anything.

Now, I realized we weren't that old.

Thirty isn't a heavy age. It symbolizes a new beginning.

And I had more courage to face new challenges and love.

As we chatted, Kathy rolled her eyes. "You don't know, Savannah. We used to hang out after work all the time. Whenever Caroline and Asher talked about work, no one else could get a word in. It was like there was a wall between them."

"So we made a rule: no work talk during fun time."

"But sometimes they couldn't help it and would sneak off to the bathroom to talk."

Savannah laughed, curious. "How did you know?"

"Because they'd be gone for an hour. Who takes that long in the bathroom? I got impatient and found them chatting at the bathroom door."

Kathy rolled her eyes.

Asher and I laughed, reminiscing about the old days.

Just then, Royce walked out.

"Royce, after this, let's go to a bar and drink until we drop. I want to see what you're like drunk."

"I've known you for years and still don't know what you're like drunk."