Mrs. Marsh's Revealed Identities novel (Jennifer and Ivan)
Chapter 1361: Monica Faces Tristan Alone

Outside the window, the last hint of twilight disappeared, and the city's lights began to shine. The early winter night always arrived quickly.

The entire curved glass window was clean and bright, without any reflection, offering a clear view of the bustling night scene.

Tristan arrived early, as a matter of etiquette.

He left all his work to Kevin and glanced at his watch, estimating that Monica and her mother should be arriving soon.

Somehow, Tristan felt a bit nervous, as this was the first time he was meeting Monica's mother.

He treated the situation cautiously.

Thinking of Monica, many scenes played like a film in his mind: their first blind date, their encounter in England, and when she dragged Claire in front of him... Unknowingly, they had spent so much time together.

She was straightforward and genuine. Her expressions, her words, and her actions all left a unique impression on Tristan.

He agreed to pretend to be her boyfriend and help her avoid blind dates because he didn't dislike her.

"Mr. Norwell, may we serve the dishes now?" The waiter at the door asked as a reminder.

Tristan came back to his senses, glanced at the time, and then looked at the waiter, "Yes, you may."

"Alright, Mr. Norwell." One of the female waitresses smiled and nodded, then stepped away.

In a short while, the taxi stopped downstairs. The driver reminded the girl in the backseat that they had arrived. Monica came back to her senses, "Oh, okay." She paid the fare and got out of the car. Tristan had mentioned that it was the 58th floor. She looked up at the skyscraper in front of her and, feeling down, walked into the first-floor shopping mall lobby to take the elevator up.

Monica was the only person in the elevator, and her mood was clearly not good, very heavy.

She sensed the calm before the storm.

She pursed her lips, wondering how she would explain things to Tristan when she saw him.

This was a dinner he had carefully arranged amidst his busy schedule, he was helping her out, and yet her mother hadn't come.

In a private room with a window on the 58th floor, Tristan stood with his back to the window. His posture was straight, his dark eyes shimmering with a faint light, noble and cold. Upon hearing footsteps, he turned his gaze.

"Miss, please come in," the waiter at the door said respectfully.

Monica entered his line of sight, with no one else behind her.

Upon entering, she saw that all the dishes were already served - more than a dozen, clearly meticulously prepared, the aroma of food filled the air.

She was touched, but also apologetic, her expression a bit complicated.

Belinda's mother hadn't come, but Tristan didn't seem puzzled. Instead, he waved to the waiters at the door.

The waiters understood, bowed respectfully, and left. They considerately closed the door behind them.

Monica stood at a distance, feeling wronged and wanting to speak to him, but found she had no standing and didn't know where to begin. "I'm sorry, I wasted your preparation..." Tristan noticed her swollen eyes and walked towards her, stopping in front of her. "What happened?"

His gentle voice was like a spring breeze, expressing more concern than curiosity.

The girl looked up, holding back her grievances as she tried to explain, "My mother was supposed to come, but..."

She didn't know what to say, as adults' matters were inherently complicated.

Sighing, she said, "Tristan, I didn't lie. It wasn't me who asked you out, it was my mother."

He believed her, of course. When she had answered her mother's call, she was still sitting in his car.

"What happened?" Tristan asked patiently, not in a rush. "Let me see what I can do to help."

Monica looked up and saw sincerity in his dark eyes.

After thinking for a moment, she told him the whole story, including the contents of her father's phone call.

"My dad said Uncle Clarke called him, and now both of our parents think we're together."

After saying that, she looked up apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't expect to cause you trouble. I'll go back and explain everything to my parents."

"What then?" Tristan asked directly, "Will you be dragged off by your mother to meet Tom Fritz? Become a pawn in your parents' war?"