After the CEO Divorced Me, He Wants Me Back (Aveline and Lucas) novel Chapter 1088

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 Ian.

"Mr. Moore, good evening," Jolie began directly. "I’ve made my decision. I think we can give this a try."

Ian’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," Ian 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 Ian 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.

Ian 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?"

Ian 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."

Ian studied her for a moment before nodding. "That works for me."

Jolie extended her hand with a small smile. "To a successful partnership."

Ian 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.”