Chapter 3: Enemies, Exes, and Secret Wounds

Grant’s handsome face successfully received a glass of cold water. Tonight, three people are losing sleep over this mess.

You made your bed, now lie in it.

The other party is a C-list actress. Her looks and style speak for themselves.

They say there’s a gap between celebrities and ordinary people, but I was curious how Grant would do.

I looked him up and down and concluded, "Your problem isn’t looks, it’s your vibe."

They say details determine success or failure. Flashing a Tesla key at your waist isn’t going to cut it.

I generously reached into my pocket—well, Grant’s pocket—and helped him fix his look.

Once a man is over twenty, he shouldn’t dress like a kid anymore. I gave him a playful nudge, "Time to level up, Grant."

Big gold chain, big gold watch, and a pair of loafers... I broke the description up, making sure every detail landed.

I gave a thumbs-up and laid it on thick, hyping Grant up for the date.

But Grant tried to resist. "What kind of look is this?"

"If you can’t win her over dressed like this, I’ll admit defeat."

"Lose then lose—it’s not me getting stared at anyway."

"If you lose, how about docking a month’s pay?"

Fun is fun, but don’t joke about salary. I shot him a warning look.

I suddenly feel maybe we can skip the loafers.

But the big gold chain and big gold watch—Grant, don’t even think about taking them off!

I sugarcoated it: "I’m doing this for your own good."

No one should suffer except myself, and no one should enjoy except Grant. I made a face, half-joking, half-resigned.

Grant looked at his nouveau riche outfit in the mirror, muttering, "The problem isn’t the outfit, it’s the whole idea."

I was heartbroken, like a loyal aide constantly doubted by the king. I tossed in a playful sigh for good measure.

I solemnly clasped my left fist to my chest—if it exists—and swore loyalty.

Grant just glanced at me indifferently. "You’d sell me out in a storm."

It’s over—my image as a villainous advisor is set in Grant’s mind. I tried to look mysterious and brooding.

Seeing is believing. This time, the actress really didn’t disappoint, and I felt like a true matchmaker.

"This is Brooks & Co.’s president, Grant Maddox, and this is Ms. Jenna Lane."

I heard there’s some controversy about Ms. Lane’s age—Grant was a little blunt, but I tried to soften the question.

Who asks about someone’s age right away? I cringed internally.

I calmly kicked Grant under the table, trying to rescue the conversation.

"Mr. Maddox, that’s a bit forward."

"Personally, I think blind dates should be sincere."

Well... can’t argue with that. The actress coughed awkwardly.

"I think age isn’t an issue when two people are together."

"Two people, are you sure? Shouldn’t it be three?" Grant said, cryptically. I flagged this for clarification.

Three people—what does that mean? Is Grant implying something about me?

I angrily stood up, but Grant pressed me back down.

"Not talking about you."

The actress looked guilty and fled in panic.

"See, you’ve scared off another one."

My anger was about to burn down the whole restaurant.

"Do you know who that is?"

I hesitated: "C-list actress Jenna Lane."

"Also, she’s Bill Carter’s current girlfriend."

Bill Carter, our company’s vice president. I tried to process the office gossip.

The next day, Grant and the actress made it to trending searches. I realized the transition was abrupt, so I added a mental image of social media blowing up.

"Actress dines with a rich heir, ‘gold-digger queen’ lives up to her name."

So, she’s not only Bill’s girlfriend, but also a habitual dater of rich guys!

The actress’s PR team quickly issued a response.

In the entertainment world, not denying is basically admitting. Damn, where’s my inhaler and emergency Tylenol!

Before I could recover, Grant’s mom stormed into the office, pearls swinging, eyes blazing.

"Aunt Carol, listen to me, it’s not what you think."

"Savannah, you don’t need to cover for that brat. Watch me beat him to a pulp today!"

Grant’s family is strict—absolutely no dating actresses with bad reputations.

But if she comes in from here, I have to leave from there. Oh no, this can’t be happening! I felt like a White House aide trying to intercept a crisis.

Just as I desperately blocked Grant’s mom, the door opened and Grant grinned at me. He knew this would happen and stayed silent. Classic.

Although Grant was eventually lectured by his mom for a long time, I still wasn’t satisfied. I posted Grant’s back photo on a resale app, just for laughs.

"Boss who’s a pain to deal with, slight flaws, price negotiable."

Buyer: "Where’s the flaw?"

I smiled at the screen and decided to go all out. "Not as great as you think."

Buyer: "Savannah Carter, appear in my office within one minute."

Bad news: slandering the boss, got caught by the boss. Good news: I’m used to it.

Hmph, it’s almost time to get off work, I’m not going, let him stew.

When I didn’t come back, Grant summoned me on Messenger. "Big dumb boss patted my lawyer, sentenced to three years." I flagged this meme for localization.

Energetic beauty Savannah: "It’s all a misunderstanding, I’ll be right there."