Chapter 785
chapter785
Stoddard leaned back in his chair, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You can't fool me, Owen! You say you're not interested in Roseanne, but you're acting like a lovesick puppy. Caught you red-handed!"
Owen Reynolds just stared at his computer screen, saying nothing.
"Listen, buddy," Stoddard continued, "if you have doubts, the best thing to do is to just ask her straight up. Man up a little! You've mentioned yourself that Roseanne hates all that beating around the bush."
Owen seemed to be lost in thought.
"Don't hesitate any longer! Before you know it, she'll be someone else's girl. I bet you can't focus on work until you sort this out."
"Who says I can't focus on work?" Owen shot back.
"Ha! Then why's there a mistake in these simple calculations?" Stoddard pointed
to a glaring error on the screen. "Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, my friend."
Owen glanced over, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face. Stoddard gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You got this, bro!"
With that, he turned back to his own workspace.
"When did you figure it out?" Owen suddenly asked.
Stoddard paused, turning with a smirk. "The way you look at Roseanne, the special treatment you give her, even your tone is softer around her. If I didn't notice, I'd have to be blind."
Owen's face twisted into a sheepish grin. "Is it really that obvious?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Liz chimed in as she approached, smiling.
Owen quickly straightened up, shooting Stoddard a warning glance.
Facing Liz, Stoddard hid his hands behind his back, giving Owen an "OK" sign. "Got it, got it! Lips are sealed!"
Liz chuckled. "What's so secretive, Mr. Stoddard? Some top-secret project I can't know about?"
Though she was addressing Stoddard, her eyes subtly drifted to Owen.
Stoddard played along, "Well, since you've put it that way, it's all classified, Liz. Can't share, can't share..."
He walked off, grinning to himself. It wasn't just Owen's feelings he could see clearly; Liz was just as transparent.
"Morning, Mr. Stoddard!" Sammy greeted him cheerfully as he walked by, carrying breakfast for him and Liz.
"Morning, Sammy. You've outdone yourself."
Sammy looked confused. "But we aren't rushing any experiments right now, and nobody's been pulling late nights. What do you mean?"
The night fell, and Owen Reynolds returned home earlier than usual.
He stood outside his apartment building, looking up at Roseanne's window. It was dark; she wasn't back yet.
Inside his apartment, he rummaged through the fridge for something to eat but quickly lost his appetite In the end, he settled for a cup of hot tea and retreated to his study.
Sitting at his desk, Owen opened his laptop and stared at his unfinished paper, trying to work.
After half an hour, he checked the time again. Another half hour passed, and still no sign of her.
He closed the document, rubbing his tired eyes. As he stood to refill his teacup in the kitchen, his gaze drifted to the wall clock. The hands pointed to ten.
Where could she be at this hour?
Just then, the sound of a car engine cut through the silence.
Owen quickly moved to the balcony, spotting Corley's car pulling into the alley.
Roseanne stepped out, and Corley emerged from the driver's side, the two of them exchanging words.
"I'll walk you up," Corley suggested.
Roseanne shook her head with a smile. "No need, it's late, and you have work tomorrow. You should head home and get some rest."
"Alright," Corley conceded.
"Goodnight, then."
"Roseanne, wait-"
She turned back, curiosity in her eyes.
Corley hesitated, taken aback by the clarity and warmth in her gaze, though it wasn't the look of a woman in love.
"My grandma said she really enjoyed having you over today. She hopes you'll visit more often."
"Of course."
With that, Roseanne headed upstairs, Corley watching her until she disappeared from view. Once her apartment lights flicked on, he returned to his car.
Roseanne had spent the day with Corley's grandparents, enjoying a hearty meal,
sharing stories, playing chess, and even fishing at a nearby pond.