Sweet Subterfuge

Chapter 88

Kevan and Larissa sat in the car quietly.

They were just looking at one another without exchanging words. It seemed to be the most common occurrence when they were alone.

Kevan stared out of the window.

His expression was calm, but his body tensed inch by inch.

He wanted to talk to Larissa, but he didn’t know what he should talk to her about.

Numerous conversation topics flashed through his mind, but they were rejected by him one by one.

“Are you okay?” sounded too stupid. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“Have you eaten?” sounded like he was trying too hard to fill the silence.

“You did well today” was just weird. She wasn’t his subordinate.

“Do you remember how, as a child, you used to-” That was probably a scar she wished to never uncover in this lifetime if she could help it.

Forget it, he thought dejectedly.

Perhaps he really was just as Dylan described–he had no talent for pursuing girls.

Larissa’s phone was turned off. She had no plans of turning it on again

in for n

now.

Without her phone to kill time, she felt the awkwardness in the car even more acutely.

So, she asked the question she hadn’t gotten an answer to earlier once again. “Why are you and Dylan here?”

Kevan took a deep breath and turned to her.

“Dylan saw the news of Janine Levange attempting to take her life from the roof of Victory General Hospital online. He couldn’t reach your phone, so he came to see if you were here by any chance.”

The subject he used in his sentence was “Dylan“, as if everything had purely been Dylan’s idea.

“How thoughtful of him,” Larissa said gratefully.

Kevan’s fingers tightened in his lap. His chest felt tight, as if there was something preventing him from catching his breath.

After a few minutes, he spoke again. “Are you free this weekend? Accompany me to Starville Hotel.”

Starville Hotel was another institution under Microworks Corporation. It was set at the heart of Starry Mountain, on the outskirts of Covenford. It was also rumored to be the best place on Starry Mountain to stargaze and watch the sunrise.

Yet, the price of staying in Starville for just one night was exorbitant. The last few times Larissa had visited Starry Mountain, she could only opt for the other more affordable hotels around the summit.

“What for?” she asked him now.

“An event.” Kevan replied. “A lot of people there might bring their daughters along-”

So, he needed her to go with him as his “fake girlfriend” to fend off those unwanted advances, Larissa added.

silently in her heart, voicing his unspoken words.

Since they’d already signed a contract, she naturally had no room to refuse.

“Alright.”

The tense lines along his jaw softened slightly, and the edges of his lips curved upward.

“We’ll leave on Saturday morning. I’ll call you then.”

“Okay.” Larissa nodded. “Are there any dress code requirements I should follow?” she asked once more.

This time, she would rather jump off a cliff than wear anything that expensive ever again!

Kevan replied, “I’ve prepared your outfit for you already. You can change when we get there.”

Larissa twisted her fingers and hesitated for a long moment before deciding to discuss the matter with him.

Can you just give me a general idea of the dress code, and I’ll prepare my outfit myself?”

Kevan saw right through her immediately.

He found it amusing, but he fought to prevent his lips from twitching regardless.