The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 514

514 /520

However, Alice's behavior struck Suzie as odd.

Though Alice and Jamie didn't interact much, there was a relaxed familiarity in the few words they did exchange—almost as if they were old acquaintances. Suzie brushed it off, wondering if she was just overthinking things.

As the dinner progressed and the noise level in the room rose, Suzie pulled out her phone and shot Stella a text.

A few minutes after Suzie slipped into the restroom, Stella pushed through the door.

"Why did he show up here uninvited?" Suzie asked in a hushed, urgent tone.

Stella rubbed her flushed cheeks, clearly feeling the effects of the wine, and gave a lazy shrug. "I have no idea. He just walked in, and everyone instinctively shifted down to leave the head seat open for him. It was completely silent, but weirdly synchronized. Honestly, after seeing the stunt he pulled at the studio today, even Oliver and Hayden probably assume you two got back together."

"You've got to be kidding me..." Suzie sighed, rubbing her temples. She hadn't even had the chance to explain the situation to them yet. A massive headache was beginning to form.

Stella frowned. "Why wouldn't they think that? If you aren't back together, why would he drop a small fortune on those gifts? Plus, I overheard my team and your veteran employees gossiping. They're all saying you're his girlfriend. Seriously, those two girls sitting near the door? They were looking at you with so much envy they were practically bleeding out their eyes."

Suzie groaned, shaking her head as she washed her hands. "He's completely different from how he used to be. I used to think he was just arrogant and didn't care what anyone thought. Now I just think he's absolutely shameless."

Stella's lips twitched into a smirk. "Hey, whatever you think of him, you're the one cashing in today. With his name attached to your brand, you won't ever have to worry about finding clients. You won't even need a marketing team—people will be breaking down the doors of Iris Dream Studio to work with you."