Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 292

She hadn’t dialed the wrong number; it was definitely Jonathan’s.

Was it his office assistant?

But the last time she’d gone to find Jonathan at his company, she had clearly seen that the executive office at Ironhold Investment Group was staffed entirely by men.

A new female assistant?

Stephanie frowned but didn't dwell on it for long.

She addressed the woman on the phone directly, stating her identity. “Who is this? Why do you have my husband’s phone?”

She had just identified herself as the CEO’s wife. If this was a misunderstanding, the other person should have clarified.

But the woman on the other end of the line was silent for a moment before saying, “You should be wondering why your husband isn’t home in the middle of the night, but is with me… on a date.”

With that, the person hung up.

Stephanie frowned. Was this woman provoking her?

She didn't call back. Standing in the alley, she thought for half a minute before hailing a cab on the street, deciding to head to Ironhold Investment Group to see what was going on.

Since Jonathan was supposedly working late, he should still be at the office. She needed to see for herself whether this was real or a bluff.

A few minutes later, Cecilia's call came through. She sounded like she'd had a bit too much to drink, her voice hazy.

“Stephanie, what’s up? Weren’t you treating me to dinner? Why’d you sneak off?”

“Something came up. Hey, let me ask you something. Are you sure Jonathan hasn’t had any women in his life these past few years?”

Stephanie's intuition was right; Cecilia was definitely drunk.

She was slumped over the table, thinking for a good half-minute before she finally slurred, “Well, the gossip in reporter circles says no, but…”

Hearing the “but,” Stephanie’s heart leaped into her throat, a tension she hadn’t realized was there creeping onto her face.

Cecilia let out a drunken hiccup, her speech slow. “There are so many secret relationships and kids in the entertainment industry that never get reported. We reporters don’t have surveillance cameras under their beds, so who knows if those A-listers are secretly married…”

Stephanie frowned, hearing Cecilia’s jumbled words. “You sound really drunk. Can you get home by yourself? Should I call a car for you?”

He wasn't the manager; he was the owner.

His family owned most of the high-end restaurants in Veridian; the Sanders family was a leader in the restaurant industry.

Cecilia kept her head hung low. Dining and dashing was just too embarrassing.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of black leather shoes appear in her field of vision. She squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out in one breath: “To the most handsome and kind restaurant manager in the universe, can I wash dishes to pay my debt?”

Tobias recognized Cecilia immediately.

Wasn’t this Stephanie’s best friend? The one who had rear-ended his car just a couple of days ago.

She couldn’t afford the damages then, so they’d exchanged numbers, agreeing to settle it when she had the money. Tobias had forgotten all about it.

If she had no money, why was she trying to dine and dash?

Tobias pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down. “Are you determined to fleece me for all I’m worth? If I go broke because of you, are you going to take responsibility?”