Chapter 53

A soft sigh escaped Elissa before she leaned in and spoke. "You've always been in Daisy's corner, Kaitlyn. But honestly, don't you see her true colors by now? She's more skilled than you think at flirting with guys."

A faint bite to her lower lip was Kaitlyn's only sign of uncertainty as she answered, her tone frosty, "I don't buy it. Daisy isn't like that."

With a roll of her eyes, Joyce jumped in to back Elissa up. "You'll see soon enough. Just wait until she shows you who she really is."

Deep down, frustration simmered in Joyce-Elissa had lied to her before. Still, those tears and apologies had managed to sway her yet again.

Blame fell easily on Daisy, especially since she had actually tried making a move on her boyfriend.There was no way to deny it.

Instead of talking sense into Daisy, Arabella had chosen to pick a fight with her!

Given that kind of spiteful behavior, Elissa's dishonesty almost made sense.

"She's unbelievable," Joyce muttered through gritted teeth.

Elissa couldn't help but chuckle in response.

Curiosity got the better of Joyce. "Doesn't this make you mad,Elissa?"

With an air of calm, Elissa just shrugged. "No need to worry-what's right will win in the end."

Meanwhile, in a private dining room, Colton watched Arabella as if he had stumbled across a rare gem.

That didn't go unnoticed by Asher, whose mood darkening with every passing moment.

Breaking the silence, Colton addressed Arabella,offering, "You've really got a spark. Why not join my company? I'd make sure you have every opportunity you could want."

Her answer came with a polite smile. "That's very generous, Mr. Russell, but I'm not looking for a job at the moment."

Disappointment flickered in Colton's eyes. "With your drive, you could run your own company one day. And if you ever do, let me know. I'd love to invest."

The compliment left Arabella feeling just a bit uneasy.

If only he knew her own company was already thriving.

Switching gears, Asher placed some food onto Arabella's plate. "Let's just eat," he said quietly.

Joshua wandered over right then, plopping down next to Arabella with a grin. "Well, look who's here! You could've told me you'd be attending the lecture."

Arabella met his question with a shrug. "You didn't mention you'd be here either."

A grin spread across Joshua's face. "I happened to have some time, that's all. Do you want to order anything else?"

Colton's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Do you know her, Mr. Willis?"

Pride was clear in Joshua's response. "Of course

I do."

With a knowing nod, Colton added, "I thought as much. Someone with her talent is bound to stand out."

He looked at Arabella. "Let's trade numbers."

A quick flick of her wrist brought out Arabella's phone,and they exchanged contact information without fuss.

Juggling conversation from Colton and Joshua left Arabella barely a moment to herself, as she bounced from one question to another.

Asher ate in silence, his expression brooding.Nobody paid his mood much attention, Colton,for one, was used to seeing himn that way.

Reaching for a way to smooth things over,Arabella suggested, "Would you like something to drink,Asher?"

The question caught Asher's attention, and whatever shadow he had been under seemed to lift. His answer came gently. "Coffee would be perfect."

She nodded and quickly bought him a cup of coffee.

Colton eyed his good friend with curiosity,wondering what had changed to lighten Asher's mood so suddenly.

On the other side of the table, Joshua quietly took in the exchange, noting just how different Asher was around Arabella.

When lunch wrapped up, Joshua and Arabella slipped away together.

A stroll around campus gave them a chance to unwind, and soon they found a bench to sit and talk. Joshua leaned back, breaking the comfortable silence. "You know, Mr. Gordon's support could mean big things for our company."

In a calm, even tone, Arabella replied, "His help is only because of a promise he made to his father."

Joshua pressed on, "If he's that willing to help you, maybe he'd support us as well."

She shot him a firm look. "Let's drop the subject. If there's ever a need for us to work together, we'll go through official channels.Don't chase after partnerships with Asher on your own."

Joshua's enthusiasm fizzled. "Got it, boss."

A few steps away, Asher and Colton had just arrived, pausing as they spotted Joshua and Arabella together. Colton muttered, "Didn't we just finish eating? What are we doing back out here? Wait-isn't that Mr. Willis with Arabella?"

They stood there, unsure if they should approach.

When he overheard Arabella and Joshua's exchange, Asher's expression softened, a warm light flickering in his eyes.

Colton could hardly believe what he was seeing.

The dynamic between Asher and Arabella was turning out to be something he hadn't expected at all. Hearing Joshua casually call her "boss"made everything suddenly click; no wonder she

had turned down his company offer.

"Hey, something just came to mind." From out of nowhere, Joshua perked up, an idea sparking in his eyes.

Arabella had a bad feeling about what he was going to say but gave him a nod to continue.

With a grin, Joshua suggested, "Why not just go for Asher? If you two were together, there wouldn't be any awkward boundaries left between you."

The minute those words left his mouth, he met a frosty glare from Arabella.

Still, Joshua continued, "I get that love isn't really your thing, but that's exactly why you and Asher would work. Neither of you wants romance, you both stand out from the crowd ... Sounds like a perfect match made in heaven,if you ask me."

The whole conversation struck Colton as completely absurd.

What was Joshua thinking? He was seriously

contemplating setting Asher and Arabella up?

He had to admit she was impressive, but Asher wasn't the type to bother with relationships. In fact,Asher never seemed interested in anyone,least of all women.

A joke started to form on Colton's tongue, but glancing over at Asher, he noticed something odd-those famously cool eyes had softened,and the tips of his ears were tinged with red.Asher looked lost in his own thoughts.

The sight left Colton reeling.

Was Asher actually considering what Joshua had just said?