When Norman Sutton rushed out, Lana Holloway was standing by the elevator waiting. She saw Norman Sutton approaching but acted as though she hadn’t noticed him, turning her head back to the slowly descending numbers by the elevator door.
"Ding dong—" The elevator door opened, and after those inside stepped out, Lana Holloway took a step inside, followed closely by Norman Sutton.
Their rooms were on the sa floor of the hotel. After pressing the floor button, Lana stood in the corner, saying nothing.
Norman Sutton watched the elevator door slowly close. Besides them, there were two other people in the reasonably spacious elevator.
The two people got off on the fifth floor. Once the elevator doors closed again, Norman Sutton glanced at Lana Holloway several tis before asking, "Do you have a cold?"
There were no nas or specifics ntioned, so Lana Holloway tried to pretend she hadn’t heard. But at the mont, only she and Norman Sutton were in the elevator, and out of the corner of her eye, she could vaguely see Norman Sutton’s gaze on her.
Before Lana could respond, Norman Sutton asked again, "Have you taken dicine? Do you want to go to a nearby clinic?"
Lana Holloway glanced sideways at Norman Sutton, shook her head lightly, and said, "No need, I’m fine."
After speaking, she looked up again at the rising numbers by the elevator door, hoping it would reach their floor quickly.
She couldn’t understand why, but now whenever she was alone with Norman Sutton, she felt uneasy.
Thinking back to the days spent abroad with him, she hadn’t felt this way.
The elevator reached their floor, and before the doors were fully open, Lana Holloway eagerly rushed out.
Norman Sutton followed at a leisurely pace, watching as she stood before her room door, lowering her head to retrieve her room card from her bag.
After entering the room, Lana attempted to close the door behind her, but Norman Sutton reached out to hold the door, pulling the nearly closed door open and slipping inside.
Lana paused for a mont, seeing Norman Sutton turn around to lock the door. She took a step back, creating so distance, and then frowned, displeased, asking him, "What are you doing?"
Norman Sutton asked her in return, "What do you an?"
Lana Holloway replied, "I should be the one asking you that."
Norman Sutton stepped closer to Lana Holloway, looked down, and asked, "Why are you avoiding ?"
Lana Holloway turned her head away, her gaze wandering without a place to land, and after a pause, she said, "Young Master Sutton, we’re not that close, so..."
Hearing Lana’s response, Norman Sutton’s expression darkened, his tone turned heavy, interrupting her angrily, "I proposed to you, and you’re avoiding everywhere? Putting on airs calling ’Young Master’—who’s that for?"
Lana Holloway, provoked by Norman Sutton’s words, felt her anger surge too and said, "I don’t care if you’re joking or serious. I’ve already refused, haven’t I? So please, stop bothering ."
Norman Sutton sneered, "Is this the response you give after all this ti to calm down?"
Lana Holloway said, "I’ve always been calm. If Young Master Sutton has nothing else, please leave. This is my room."
Norman Sutton tightened his jaw looking at Lana Holloway, as if he had pent-up anger, lost for a release. He paused for a few seconds before turning to leave, slamming the door behind him heavily.
The loud sound of the door slam made Lana Holloway’s body tremble slightly. Looking at the closed door, her mind was chaotic.
The room beca very quiet, yet her mind couldn’t find peace.
She raised her hand to rub her already dizzy, aching temple. Taking a deep breath, she pushed thoughts of Norman Sutton away, turned to grab the pajamas from her suitcase, and headed toward the bathroom.
After storming out, Norman Sutton stood by the elevator and started to regret.
He began reflecting on whether he was too impulsive, imagining if he’d been nicer, softened his approach to coax Lana Holloway, maybe things wouldn’t be so tense between them...
But recalling the things Lana said to him made it feel like even if he lowered himself and begged, he’d only end up more embarrassed.
He couldn’t figure out where it had gone wrong.
He lost interest in dining at the restaurant, wandering aimlessly down the street alone.
Seeing the bar across the street, Norman Sutton paused at the roadside for a mont, then crossed over, heading straight toward the bar.
The deafening music and flashing lights in the bar only added to his inner agitation.
Walking to the bar counter, about to order a drink, he heard a familiar voice: "Isn’t this Master Shane’s brother-in-law? Why are you here? Did Master Shane and his wife co too?"
Norman Sutton turned at the sound, narrowed his brows and widened his eyes at Faye Xavier, saying, "Don’t bother !"
Faye Xavier, unfazed by his anger, laughed, teasing, "Hey, this kid’s got quite a temper. What’s the matter? Your little girlfriend giving you a hard ti, so you’ve co to drown your sorrows alone?"
Norman Sutton ignored Faye Xavier entirely, sat down at the bar stool, and ordered a signature drink.
Faye Xavier sat on the chair next to Norman and leaned over to say, "Chasing girls takes skills; you can’t just blindly chase after them. That might backfire, you know?"
Norman Sutton glanced sideways at Faye Xavier with a mocking smile, as if silently questioning her expertise.
Faye Xavier saw Norman’s disdain and began boasting, "I’ve seen plenty of won. There’s not one I couldn’t win over. I’m only here to help out because you’re Master Shane’s brother-in-law, giving him so face. Honestly, half of Master Shane’s happy life with his wife is thanks to my advice. He’s got her wrapped around his finger because of ."
Norman Sutton couldn’t help saying, "She’s not Audrey Sutton. Audrey was keen on marrying."
Faye Xavier was taken aback, mumbled, "Is she your sister? Is that how you talk about your sister?"
Norman Sutton waved dismissively, "Ah, you wouldn’t get it. Just don’t bother . Leave alone."
Faye Xavier said, "Chasing girls is also a lesson on its own. You need to master the art of playing hot and cold, give them a sense of uncertainty and insecurity, let them know you like them, but also make them feel you might leave them. Create a sense of crisis, understand?"
Norman Sutton reached for the drink handed to him by the bartender, took a sip, and said to Faye Xavier, "You talk a good ga, but you don’t seem like a decent person."
Faye Xavier replied, "Then you’ve misunderstood greatly. I’m just a bit flirtatious, hence no steady girlfriend. But if I wanted to get married, the girl would imdiately accompany to the civil registry, you believe that? So if the young lady isn’t paying you any attention, you might need to find the reason within yourself."
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