Jolie set her phone aside, waiting for Daisy to finish her rambling before the call finally ended. She suddenly felt a sense of emptiness, as though everything around her had lost its flavor.
Pushing her plate of pasta away, she stood up and went to her bedroom to change clothes. Afterward, she stepped outside and made a call to lan.
"Mr. Moore, good evening," Jolie began directly. "I've made my decision. I think we can give this a try."
lan's voice was warm as he replied, "I think so too. Miss Quin, have you had dinner yet?"
"Not yet."
"Then let's have it together," lan offered. "I'll send you the location. It's a new restaurant I recently discovered-it's quite good."
"Sounds great," Jolie agreed.
She drove to the restaurant lan mentioned, and by the time she arrived, he was already waiting.
"Mr. Moore, you're early," Jolie said with a smile as she sat down across from him.
lan smiled gently. "This is technically our first official date. Naturally, I wanted to arrive early."
Jolie raised an eyebrow, amused, before saying, "My birthday is in a week. The Quin family is hosting a dinner cruise to celebrate. Would you be willing to attend as my boyfriend?" lan leaned back slightly, a faintly amused smile tugging at his lips. "You're putting me to work this quickly?"
Jolie replied calmly, "As you said, this is a partnership. You help me, and I'll return the favor."
lan studied her for a moment before nodding. "That works for me."
Jolie extended her hand with a small smile. "To a successful partnership."
lan took her hand and shook it firmly. "To a successful partnership."
After finishing the meal, Jolie didn't feel much relief. Still, she believed her decision to push back against her family's control was a small victory, and that was enough for her.
In the days leading up to her birthday, she returned to the Quin family home. Daisy pulled her along to choose a gown for the celebration and pick out invitation designs. Finally, the day of the birthday dinner cruise arrived.
That morning, Jolie opened her eyes and sent a message to Selena.
"Happy birthday, Selena."
There was no reply.
Jolie stared at her phone for a moment, a faint trace of loneliness flickering across her eyes. But she quickly brushed it aside and got up to start her day.
...
At the Cooper estate, Selena held her phone in hand, her expression unreadable.
A maid approached Aveline and said, "Miss Aveline, someone from the Quin, family delivered an
1.n
invitation for you. They're inviting you to Miss Quin's birthday party."
en Narugi
Aveline glanced at Selena before taking the invitation.
Selena put down her phone, saying nothing.
Aveline skimmed the invitation and remarked, "I won't be going."
She casually set the invitation aside and turned her attention back to Selena. "By the way, is Aaron coming to spend the day with you?" Selena nodded. "Yes, he should be here soon."
Aveline's lips curved into a soft smile. "Then I'll leave you two to enjoy your time together. But before I go, I have a gift for you."
She handed Selena a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Selena's eyes lit up. "Wow, a surprise!"
Aveline smiled. "Open it and see if you like it."
Selena nodded eagerly, but as she opened the box, her expression froze for a moment.
"What's this?"
She pulled out a small model of a villa-intricate, elegant, and beautifully designed down to every detail.
Aveline chuckled. "It's your gift along with the keys to your new home."
Selena gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief. "Oh my God! You live up to your status as the heiress of the Cooper family. You're so generous!"
Aveline had given her a whole villa as a gift!
Aveline added with a smile, "That's not all. There's more inside. You and Aaron can go take a look together."
"Absolutely! I can't wait to see what else is there," Selena exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically.
Just then, Gavin's voice came from the doorway. "What's that?"
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