The freshly squeezed juice might have been briefly scalded with hot water; the liquid inside was warm. Seeing him return, the flight attendant hurriedly left. She dared not let Erik know she liked him, terrified it would cost her this job and any chance to see him, even from afar.
Erik handed her the juice. Janelle took a sip. Freshly squeezed, yet warm. The man was excessively meticulous.
"I have no heart? How would you know that?" All his thoughts were focused on her! How could he be heartless?
Janelle took another sip of juice. "I don't have a heart either." Wasn't he currently trying to win hers?
Erik chuckled darkly, but there was nothing he could do. After all, he was currently trying to capture her heart.
The two-hour flight landed in Graham City at 1 PM. Janelle hadn't eaten on the plane. Stepping off, she felt hungry. Her stomach was troublesome; skipping meals meant rebellion.
Fortunately, Bryan was waiting outside the plane. He drove them straight to a nearby restaurant. Bryan had already ordered the dishes per Erik's instructions. The food arrived the moment they sat down.
Erik washed his hands. Ignoring his own meal, he focused on serving Janelle.
Bryan watched, dumbfounded. Their Erik kept redefining his understanding of the man!
"Don't mind me. I can eat by myself," Janelle stated coolly.
Erik paid no heed. Wanting to take care of her was his own affair.
Only after Janelle finished half a bowl of rice did Erik start eating himself. It was almost 2 PM; he hadn't eaten much for breakfast either.
"Drink this bowl of soup. Don't be stubborn. You're young, life is long. Ruin your stomach now, and you're the one who'll suffer later."
"..." Bryan saw the look on the girl's face and knew she was annoyed.
"Erik, the thing you asked me to look into before has results." Bryan reported on the task Erik had assigned him earlier. He didn't avoid Janelle while briefing. Since she was the woman Erik had chosen, there was no need to hide these matters from her.
Hearing the mention of border affairs, Janelle paused while drinking her soup.
After the briefing, Bryan left the car keys with Erik and took a taxi.
"Erik, don't discuss border matters in front of me." Janelle didn't want excessive entanglements between them.
"It's fine. Knowing about it doesn't change anything."
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell your enemies?" Was he trusting her too much? There really didn't need to be such a deep bond between them.
"Go ahead. Tell whoever you want." He'd become the King of the Border; he had that much confidence.
Janelle snorted. The man was truly arrogant. But then again, at the border, no one could shake Mr. Lorenz's position.
Finishing her soup, Janelle wiped her mouth with a napkin. Seeing he was done, she stood to leave.
"Where to? Blue Whale?" He knew about her project. She'd recruited several newcomers; he wasn't sure if they could handle it.
"Mm."
"Need help with that project? I can join your team if you want." He had some understanding of the project she was handling.
Janelle shook her head. "I already told you. I can handle this myself." She didn't want anyone interfering in this matter.
"Alright then. If you need anything, just tell me. Whatever it is, I can help." No matter how capable the girl was, she was only twenty. Facing Westin and the Hills, he was afraid she might get hurt. It was like parents worrying about their child, no matter how old they were.
"Unnecessary." Janelle genuinely felt it was completely unnecessary. She'd only returned after gaining sufficient strength. She never wanted to rely on anyone; she only wanted to succeed through her own efforts.
Erik personally drove her to Blue Whale, then returned to the riverside villa.
Soon, Bryan brought back everything Erik had requested.
"Erik, are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor?" Why did he even buy a clay pot for brewing medicine?
"I'm fine. Perfectly healthy."
"Then what are you buying all this for? And what's with all these herbs on the table?" Erik never liked Chinese medicine; the smell was truly awful.
"For your future sister-in-law. Her stomach is bad. When we were in Imperial Capital, I had Grandma Qin examine her."
"Let the housekeeper brew it! You, who've barely stepped foot in a kitchen – can you even brew traditional medicine?" Bryan expressed deep skepticism.
"Can't I learn?" Was there anything in this world that could truly stump him? If he wanted to do it, he could master it.
"Honestly, Erik, don't fall too hard. Seeing you like this worries me." The girl hadn't even agreed to be with him yet, and he was already doing everything for her. If they actually got together later, wouldn't she just walk all over him?
"Shut up." Erik couldn't be bothered.
The herbs Grandma Qin prescribed were precious. He'd pulled many strings to gather all the ingredients for these doses.
Erik took the clay pot and herbs into the kitchen. He washed the pot, then followed Grandma Qin's step-by-step instructions meticulously, handling every part himself.
Bryan watched from the side, marveling at how powerful love truly was. Seeing Erik—a man so reckless and wild—step into the kitchen was profoundly unexpected.
Janelle, absent all morning, returned to the office. Linda immediately brought in files.
"Mr. Rovella, this document requires your signature."
Janelle scanned the file rapidly, confirmed it was correct, and signed.
"Any trouble while I was gone?" Many in the company would love to kick them while they were down.
Linda smiled faintly. "Mr. Rovella, don't worry. No matter what tricks they pull, I'm confident our project will succeed." Initially, she hadn't been sure, but now she had absolute faith. The young mistress was exceptionally capable, her skills perhaps even surpassing Mrs. Evans's.
"Mm. Work hard. I won't let down those who stand with me." Linda and the team had chosen her side; she wouldn't disappoint them.
"Mrs. Evans, it seems Miss Rovella's project is progressing smoothly. If this continues, I fear…" Amber threw her pen onto the desk.
"Didn't you say her team was all rookies?"
"They are! I don't know how that ragtag bunch managed to get the project moving." In just two days, they'd made significant progress. If this continued, Westin might be the one to lose.
"Enough. Give me Linda's number." That fool Janelle couldn't possibly handle this project well. That Linda must be sabotaging things behind the scenes.