chapter99

Lydia paused for a couple of seconds.

Kylie jumped back in, her voice gentle but insistent. Lydia, I know everything that happened last night. Chris told me it even reached Mikey, so he wants to meet and talk things through with you. Maybe you two can figure out a plan together."

Kylie had always known her daughter liked motorcycles, but she never expected Lydia to be so talented at racing. Earlier that day, she'd stumbled across a viral video of those three guys from Country D riding naked on their bikes. She remembered thinking maybe they'd lost a bet or something, but she never imagined her own daughter was actually the one who'd completely destroyed them in a race. Not only that, she'd managed to embarrass them in front of everyone. It was honestly amazing.

Lydia had no choice but to agree. Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes."

Kylie sounded relieved, almost giddy. Drive safe, Lydia. Be careful.

"I will." Lydia hung up.

She checked her streaming app and was immediately overwhelmed by notifications.

Connor alone had sent more than ninety-nine messages.

[Lydia, when are you going to see me?]

[Don't you want your pendant back?]

[You can try to avoid me, but you know I'll find you.]

[Have you had dinner?]

[Are you streaming tonight?]

[Are you really that scared of me? Do you plan on hiding forever?]

[Relax, I'm not going to bite.]

Connor's messages just kept coming. Lydia couldn't even keep up. She wondered if he really had nothing better to do. Even if he was recovering, didn't he have a massive company to run?

She set her phone aside. Their families were close, so running into him was only a matter of time. There was no point in hiding, especially since she hadn't done anything wrong.

After a quick tidy-up, Lydia shut her computer, slung her bag over her shoulder, and stepped out of her office. She almost bumped straight into someone in the hallway, catching herself just in time.

"Sorry, Ms. Norwood. I almost ran into you again."

Lydia looked up to see Jenny, the young assistant from the design department who had spilled coffee on her earlier.

"It's okay. Did you need something?" Lydia asked.

Jenny looked nervous, clutching a small box. "Ms. Norwood, I... I spilled coffee on you earlier. I bought some burn ointment during lunch, but I heard you left the office suddenly. I wanted to give it to you before you went home." Jenny's eyes darted to Lydia's hand, checking for any sign of a burn. Luckily, it wasn't obvious.

Lydia smiled, accepting the ointment. "Thank you. It's really fine."

Jenny bowed her head, still apologetic. "I'm really sorry. I was too careless."

Lydia glanced at Jenny's employee badge. "How long have you been working here?"

"Almost three months," Jenny replied quietly.

"And what school did you graduate from?"

"Aura Institute of Design."

Lydia raised her brows, impressed. "That's a great school. Bring your portfolio by tomorrow. I'd like to take a look at your work."

Aura Institute was famous for turning out talented designers. If Jenny had potential, she deserved a shot.

Jenny's face lit up in shock and excitement. Ms. Norwood, you want to see my designs?"

Lydia nodded. "Yes. See you tomorrow."

Jenny looked like she was about to burst with happiness. She'd been here for months, but she'd only done odd jobs around the office. No one had given her a real design assignment, and lately, she'd even thought about quitting. But now, the CEO herself wanted to see her work. Jenny could hardly believe her luck.