Chapter 43

Time ticked by slowly.

After a bit, Arthur finally said, "Alright, meeting's over!"

Nothing got sorted out, and the meeting just ended like that.

Ella stayed put, watching Arthur walk away, and let out a sigh.

Lily clenched her teeth. "He's just pushing us around!"

Ella smirked, "Well, the show must go on. We'll fight back with everything we've got!"

"Absolutely!"

Lily was fired up. "When our Worry-Free Studio goes global, let's see who dares to look down on us then!"

"I'm going for a walk. You head back first."

With that, Ella stepped outside.

The breeze blew, and she felt a bit lighter.

She wandered around the estate, not really paying attention to where she was going, and ended up in the garden.

The garden was in full bloom, the air filled with sweet scents.She bent down, took a deep breath, and a smile spread across her face.

Suddenly,a dog barked.

Ella's eyes widened as she saw a dog charging at her.

She tried to run, but there was no way she could outrun it.

Just as the dog was about to knock her over, a voice shouted, "Stay still!"

The dog stopped in its tracks and stood there obediently.

Ella, still catching her breath, clutched her chest. "Whose dog is this? Why isn't it on a leash?"

"Sorry about that, Ms. Worry-Free. I'm Leo Schmidt, an intern with the show."

"Hi,Leo."

Ella gave him a once-over.

Leo was in sportswear, with neat, short hair and big, kind eyes. He looked like a genuinely nice guy.

Seeing such a handsome guy made Ella feel a bit better.

"It's not safe to wander around here alone at night. I'll walk with you1. It's easy to get lost."

"No need," Ella said quickly.

There were cameras everywhere, and she didn't want any trouble.

Leo scratched his head. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something. I'm getting married soon, and I was wondering if you could..."

He trailed off,looking unsure.

Ella's eyes lit up. "You want me to design a wedding dress for you?"

"Could you?" Leo's eyes sparkled.

Under the moonlight, his handsome face was full of hope.

Ella nodded. "You two seem really happy together. I'd love to help!Consider it a wedding gift."

"Awesome!"

Leo excitedly pulled out his phone to show pictures of his girlfriend. "This is her. I can give you her measurements. I want it to be a surprise! She's a big fan of yours, watches your live broadcasts all the time... sorry about the interruption earlier."

Ella shook her head. "No need to apologize, it happens. Do you have more photos? I want to get a sense of her style and hair."

"Sure, let's sit over there."

"Okay."

They sat on a bench, and Ella carefully looked through the photos of Leo's fiancée.

From her outfits, it was clear she loved fashion and had a youthful, lively vibe.

Ella quickly got inspired. "I'Il design a lively, beautiful wedding dress full of youth."

"Perfect! Wearing your design at our wedding would be amazing."

"You really knew how to make me happy! Let me tell you about the details..."

Ella pulled out her phone and started sketching right there.

Leo was blown away by her design, craning his neck to get a better look.

As they both leaned in to see the phone, they ended up getting closer and closer without even realizing it.

A gust of wind blew, making them shiver and adjust their clothes. Little did they know, it wasn't just the wind that was cold-it was Arthur's icy stare.

Up on the top floor balcony, Arthur leaned against the railing, his slender fingers gripping a wine glass, gently swirling it. "Getting cozy, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Alan, who was nearsighted, squinted and smiled. enjoying the view. "You're so idle. Why don't you hang out with Ava?"

"Shut up!" Arthur snapped, shooting him a cold glare.

Alan covered his mouth, grinning. "Then let's talk about Ms. Worry-Free..."

His annoying voice kept ringing in Arthur's ears.

Arthur wished he could kick him off the balcony, his eyes fixed on the scene below wwithout blinking.

"The dress is too short!" Arthur suddenly muttered.

Alan was puzzled. "What's wrong with you? Saying weird stuff at night!"

"Nothing!" Arthur shot him another cold look, then tightened his grip on the glass.

The sound of glass breaking echoed as the wine glass shattered in his hand.

Alan jumped. "I gotta go; I have something to do!"

Before he finished speaking, he hurriedly left.

Staring at the broken glass, Arthur's face was tense. "Ella,you're playing with fire!"

The night breeze blew.

In less than 10 minutes, Ella had finished the initial sketch. "You can show this to your girlfriend, see if she likes it!"

"It's gorgeous! She'l definitely love it!"

"Glad to hear that!"

Ella stretched her limbs. "Let's exchange contact info, so we can stay in touch if there are any issues."

"Sure."

"No!"

Just as Leo was about to nod, a cold voice interrupted.

Turning around, he saw a tall figure standing not far away.

"Mr.Smith!"

Realizing who it was, Leo quickly stood up to greet him.

Arthur responded indifferently, then looked at Ella. "What are you two doing out here at night?"

Leo replied, "I wanted to ask Ms. Worry-Free.,."

"It's rest time now, does it concern you?"

Thinking about the check Ava had thrown her earlier, Ella was full of anger when she saw Arthur, her tone impatient.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag. "What do you think?"

His tone was indifferent, with a hint of coldness.

Leo shivered, wanting to explain.

Ella shook her head at him. "I don't want others to know this thing!"

Leo nodded. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone! It's our secret."

Leo,fresh out of school,was simple-minded.

As he spoke, he extended his hand for a high-five.

Seeing him like this, Ella extended her hand.

As their hands touched, the surrounding air seemed to get much colder.

Leo rubbed his arms. "It's getting chilly out here, let's head back!"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, repeating the word, and walked over,standing between them. "You two are close?"

"Well..."

The two men stood together.

Leo wasn't short, but next to Arthur, he seemed small and insignificant.

He nervously swallowed. "I..."

"You're busy, you should go!" Arthur said indifferently.

Leo looked at Ella, unsure of what to do.

Ella didn't want to involve others, so she nodded. "We have each other's contact info; we can talk on the phone later!"