After the CEO Divorced Me, He Wants Me Back (Aveline and Lucas) novel Chapter 943

Maria stared into Herman's eyes, noticing the sincerity and warmth in them. There wasn’t a hint of deceit. She smiled and said, "Whoever you fall in love with is going to be very lucky."

Herman smiled back and clinked his glass with hers. "I think that’s the least anyone deserves. Every person is an individual, free in their own right. Love shouldn’t be something that traps or binds you. It should make both people better, not something that drags them into endless suffering."

"Well said!" Maria clapped her hands, downing another glass of wine.

Herman watched her, his brows knitting slowly.

After a pause, he asked, "That man earlier... you know him, don’t you?"

Maria nodded, "Yes. He used to be a designer in my studio. Now, he’s my business partner."

She drank a bit too quickly, and the alcohol hit her fast, a rosy blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"At first, the way things started between us wasn’t great. It was full of calculations and ulterior motives. I thought once everything ended, our relationship would too. But to my surprise... I ended up liking him," Maria said as if opening up for the first time.

Herman listened, but deep down, he knew she didn’t see him as anything significant. That was why she felt comfortable talking so openly about her past. If she truly cared, she wouldn’t bring it up so easily.

Maria smiled, though there was a tinge of bitterness. "It wasn’t pure from the beginning, so even when I realized I liked him, everything started to feel ugly."

"That’s not right," Herman said quietly. "Even if it began with motives or some kind of manipulation, the feelings were real. You can criticize what happened or regret the things that were done, but you can’t deny the emotions."

"Hmm?" Maria looked at him, surprised by how he viewed it all.

She hadn’t expected him to approach it from that perspective.

Maria asked directly, "So, do you think a relationship like that is worth starting?"