After Deniz left, Mary stared at her sketchbook for a long moment. She finally decided, grabbed her handbag, and headed straight for the gallery, waiting patiently by the entrance.
When Nicholas arrived and saw Mary standing there, he pulled over in surprise. As he stepped out of the car, he asked, "Mary? What are you doing here?"
Mary smiled. "Nothing special. I missed you, so I wanted to see you in person."
Nicholas laughed, looking slightly disbelieving. "Seriously? You're actually saying that? This is the first time you've ever come to look for me."
Mary shrugged casually. "Well, you shouldn't always be the one making the effort. So, what's the plan? Should we go inside the gallery, or go out?"
Nicholas stepped forward, pulled her into a warm embrace, and said, "Outside, definitely. I've really missed you; I was hoping we could spend this weekend just for us."
He took her hand, led her to the car, and opened the door with a playful gesture. "After you, my lady." Mary climbed in with a satisfied smile.
They were having breakfast at a restaurant when Mary's phone rang. Yong's name lit up the screen.
Mary answered, "Hi, Yong. Where are you?"
Yong paused for a second before responding, "Hi, Mary. Where are you?"
Mary answered with a hint of embarrassment. "Oh, I completely forgot to tell you! I'm out with Nicholas today. I'm so sorry I didn't let you know I couldn't make it."
"It's okay," Yong said calmly. "Have a good time." He hung up, let out a deep sigh, and looked at their unfinished painting. Without touching the canvas, he gathered his things and left the studio. He dialed Diana's number. "Hi, Diana. Are you at the office?"
Half an hour later, at the company cafeteria, Ava noticed them and walked over to serve them herself. "Yong, so good to see you."
Yong smiled. "Hi, thank you. How are things going?"
Ava glanced at Diana. "Thanks to Diana, everything is going great."
Suddenly, one of the cafeteria staff members nearby muttered loudly enough for them to hear, "Shameless... climbing to the top by stepping on others, and now she's brown-nosing, too."
Ava lowered her head in embarrassment. Diana smirked, but Yong, noticing Ava's discomfort, immediately changed the subject. "Ava, bring me one of your excellent cakes, please. It's been a while. And two plain coffees. Diana, would you like anything else?"
Diana shook her head, and Ava hurried toward the kitchen.
"So, darling," Diana asked, "what made you suddenly want to see me?"
"Just because," Yong replied. "It's been a while since we actually sat down together."
Diana's tone turned sharp. "Well, when you're busy painting with Mary, it's only natural. Otherwise, we'd see each other more often."
"I didn't come here to trade complaints," Yong said coldly.
Diana softened quickly. "All right, darling, I won't say another word. Truth is, I wanted to see you, too; there's a matter we need to discuss."
"What matter?" Yong asked.
"The company shares," Diana said seriously. "To open the overseas branch, we need the status of the shareholders to be completely clear, and everyone needs to participate in the meeting."
Yong hesitated. "You want me to participate?"
Diana lowered her voice. "I know you don't like spending time on these things, and you're not fond of business trips. I think it would be better if you gave me power of attorney."
Just then, Ava returned with the coffee and cake. Diana immediately changed her tone. "By the way, how is the painting project going?"
Yong looked at Diana meaningfully, realizing she didn't want Ava to know about their discussion. "It's going well, everything is fine. We should talk about that other topic at a more appropriate time."
Ava cast a suspicious look at them before walking away.
Once they were inside Diana's office, she pressed the issue again. "So, would you like to give me power of attorney so I can handle everything myself?"
Yong walked to the window and stared outside. "I don't really understand these things, but maybe it wouldn't be bad to spend a little more time for the company. Perhaps this way, your mother might change her mind about me."
Diana was stunned. Her hands began to tremble, and she breathed heavily. As soon as Yong turned around, she composed herself and offered a fake smile. "That's good... I mean, if it bothers you, it's really not necessary. Don't think about my mother; I've spoken with her, and she regrets her behavior that night. She even wanted to come see you and make amends. I think it's better if you focus on your passion and don't waste your time here."
"No, darling, I've made up my mind," Yong said firmly. "I'll do anything for you."
"But it's not necessary..." Diana said, flustered.
"It's no problem," Yong interrupted. "Actually, it's a good opportunity; this way, I can get to know the other shareholders, too."
Diana put on a wide, artificial smile to hide her anxiety. "Fine, whatever you wish. Darling, I have some work to do and a meeting to attend. Would you like to wait until I'm finished, and then we can go out?"
Yong placed his hand on Diana's shoulder. "No, darling, I won't get in your way. We'll be seeing much more of each other from now on." Yong felt the slight tremor in Diana's shoulder under his hand. "You're trembling... are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Diana said quickly. "It feels a bit chilly in here. I'll see you later."
She rushed out of the room. As soon as the door closed, her face flushed with anger and she hissed, "Damn it... everything is ruined. What do I do now?"
That afternoon, Diana sat in her office, brooding over Yong's words. Furiously, she picked up her phone and called Nicholas. "Nicholas, we need to talk. It's very important."
Nicholas was at the amusement park, surrounded by the screams and noise of a roller coaster, and couldn't hear her. "What did you say? I can't hear you! It's too loud here, I'll call you later."
Mary shouted from beside him, "Nicholas! Who are you talking to? Come on, let's go!"
Nicholas hung up and sat next to Mary. Diana, having heard Mary's voice, slammed the phone onto her desk in rage. "So that's why you didn't come to see me today! Because Mary was available, you preferred to spend your time with her... I need to resolve this as soon as possible."
At 8:00 PM, Nicholas dropped Mary off in front of her house. Mary was about to get out when Nicholas said, "Wouldn't a coffee after dinner be nice?"
Mary turned back, surprised. "What?"
Nicholas smiled. "I'm asking, won't you treat me to a coffee?"
Mary laughed and opened the door for him. "Of course, come on in."
When they sat on the couch, Nicholas looked around. "I finally saw your place. Though, you should come see my home someday, too."
Mary went to prepare the coffee, and a few minutes later, she returned with two mugs.
"Ava hasn't returned yet?" Nicholas asked as he took a sip. "Looks like she's working late."
"Yeah," Mary said. "Ever since she became the manager, she's been coming home late."
"How did Ava accept the manager position?" Nicholas asked curiously. "I didn't think she would."
Mary shrugged. "Honestly, I was surprised too. But when I tried to ask, she said she didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't pry."
"How is her relationship with Diana?" Nicholas asked.
"Seems good," Mary said confidently. "She hasn't mentioned Diana in a long time. Besides, Diana was the one who offered her the position, so clearly, Diana cares about Ava."
"I hope so," Nicholas muttered.
Once he finished his coffee, he stood up. "Well, coffee's done, I'd better get going."
"Whatever you're comfortable with," Mary said.
Nicholas leaned toward Mary with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Though, I'd really love to stay and enjoy your company more..."
Nicholas leaned in to kiss Mary, but suddenly the door opened, and Ava walked in. Nicholas pulled back instantly, rising in a panic. "I... I should go."
"Okay," Mary said. "See you later."
As Nicholas passed Ava, he saw her angry glare and hurried out of the house. Ava marched into the living room and collapsed onto the couch.
Mary approached her, feeling embarrassed. "Are you okay? Actually... Nicholas and I went to the amusement park today, he dropped me off, and I just invited him in for a coffee. I mean, it's not what you think..."
Ava stood up without hesitation. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."
Ava headed toward her room. Mary called out after her, "Did you have dinner? Believe me..."
The sound of the bedroom door slamming cut Mary off. She sighed and muttered to herself, "Ugh... I'm so humiliated."