If this were someone else, Joan would have berated them without hesitation. But because it’s Nancy, Joan found herself at a loss for words.
Nancy stepped forward and held Joan’s arm. “That’s good. I want you to know that you’re still very much like a sister to me, and that would never change, no matter what happens in the future.”
Joan didn’t pull herself away from Nancy as she led them out of the restroom. She took comfort in the fact that they could remain as friends for now.
When Joan and Nancy left the table earlier, Larry began his interrogation on Caspian. “Have the two of you not made up?”
“We have. I had just given her flowers yesterday, and everything seemed fine,” Caspian looked downcast as he replied.
“From what she said earlier, are you facing any relationship issues?”
“What? No, no. You’re overthinking it, Boss.” Caspian tried to play it cool by brushing Larry off. Deep down, he knew Nancy had changed a lot over the past few days. He had suspected something himself, but he wasn’t keen to elaborate in front of Larry.
The onlookers would always see most of the game as compared to the players themselves. So even though Caspian didn’t say it, Larry could guess as much. “That better be the case, Caspian. But you should still pay more attention to your relationship. Identify the issues early on, and you’ll be able to tackle them better.”
Caspian waved him off as he awkwardly replied, “You’re exaggerating, Boss. It’s not as serious as you make it out to be.”
Just then, the ladies made their way back to the table. Nancy was all smiles when she pulled her chair out. “We’ve been gone for so long, and you still haven’t ordered any food?”
“No, because Boss and I don’t know what to order. Why don’t you do it since you’re familiar with the food here? Joan, let Nancy know what you want to eat, and we’ll order them all.”
Nancy quickly added, “Oh, yes, yes! Caspian’s buying this meal, so let’s eat our fill. Don’t be shy, Joan. Go ahead and order whatever you like.”
The sudden change in both Nancy and Caspian took Joan by surprise. It felt as if nothing ever happened, and the awkwardness from before had all disappeared. Whether it was intentional or not, they had managed to synchronize their acts.
Larry, as expected, noticed the change in Joan immediately. Judging by her expression, he guessed Nancy must have confided in her.
Nevertheless, he decided to hold his tongue and keep things civil. He patted Joan as they flipped through the menu together.
They soon settled into a familiar routine of laughing and chatting over food and drinks. The only exception was that the comfort they used to have with one another was missing. Everyone had something weighing on their minds, and everyone had questions they didn’t dare to ask.
There was no doubt that this was the calm before the storm.
After the meal, Nancy drove straight to her father’s office while Caspian rode with Larry back to Norton Corporation.
When Nancy arrived at Barrymore Group, she entered the elevator and promptly pressed for the twenty-sixth floor.
She knew that the only way to end things with Caspian was to have a divorce. But before she brought that up with him, she’d have to inform her father about it first.
Nancy tried to make as little noise as possible by tiptoeing her way into her father’s office. She was about to close the door when she heard her father. “When will you ever learn to knock before you enter?”
“Dad, how did you know it was me?” she replied with a cheeky grin.
