Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“I don’t think there’s any problem with it.””There are unreasonable clauses in the contract, and you didn’t spot them. What happened? You seemed distracted.”
Callum frowned.Elspeth punched him on the chest and asked,
“It’s all because of you. Did you announce to the Winthrops that both of us are getting engaged?””I did that to keep off love rivals,”
Callum stated firmly and proudly.”Love rivals? You mean Blake?”He glanced at her and said,
“You know it too, but I think he has put the thought off since he is too embarrassed to face you.”When Elspeth heard that, she suddenly recalled what happened earlier.
“Do you know about what happened between the both of them?””You’re the silly one who passed out after being poisoned by someone. That’s why you didn’t see anything.”
He tapped the tip of her nose.”Which base did they get to?”
Elspeth was wide-eyed.”The base where we didn’t get to,”
Callum smirked as he leaned forward.
Callum touched Elspeth’s waist with one hand and felt that she was too thin. I guess I’ll have to make her have more food.Certainly, Elspeth was annoyed by the man’s titillating words. As such, she subconsciously gave him a kick.Callum was enjoying this lovely moment when he felt a kick on his body. His expression changed as he released the woman and moved away.
“What are you doing, Elspeth?””Jerk! You’re just as perverted as Blake. No, you’re more perverted than him!”Before Elspeth was done criticizing the man, she was pulled into his embrace.
“Alright, stop throwing a tantrum. We’ll get engaged in a few days. What’s the point of you kicking up a fuss now?”Elspeth was still reeling from the shock of the incident regarding Lisa and Blake when she heard the man bring up the engagement. At that instant, she was dumbfounded.”What do you mean that we’re getting engaged in a few days?””Have you forgotten about what we said in Waterside? To stop the rumors from spreading, we have to get engaged to save ourselves from embarrassment.”
Callum stared at her. Despite his calm expression, he appeared dangerous.
“Do you plan on going back on your word?”Elspeth shook her head.
“I won’t do that. However, something has been bothering me recently, so I’m not in the mood to get engaged to you.””What’s the matter?”Elspeth glanced at him, appearing to be in a dilemma.
“You know, Yelena loves Max, but he’s an obstinate and egoistic guy who wouldn’t easily tell others about his feelings. I’ve been pondering on how to make him fulfill his promise.””That’s easy.”
A smile played on Callum’s lips.
“I’ll help you make Max propose to Yelena in three days.”Elspeth’s eyes sparkled like stars.
“Are you serious? Can you really do that?””There’s a condition, though. After we succeed, you have to get engaged to me at once.”Elspeth was all over the moon, so she agreed to it without hesitation.
“Sure. Maybe I’ll persuade Yelena to get engaged at the same time as us.”Callum was startled as he had never thought of that. The idea of two couples getting engaged on the same day sounds interesting. Moreover, I can make use of this incident.With a smile, Callum nodded and leaned in closer to say something to the woman.”Will that work? I’m worried he’ll be pushed over the edge.”Elspeth felt uneasy.”We’ll have to push him over the edge to make it happen.”Although he had a point, Elspeth couldn’t help but wonder if it was appropriate for Callum to do such a thing to his younger brother.Elspeth said,
“Hey.””Yeah?”
he asked, to which she replied,
“You’re amazing.”The man was rendered speechless.The next morning, Elspeth got up early and went looking for Yelena.Yelena was still asleep when she heard the doorbell ringing. Still clad in pajamas with a bear print, she rubbed her eyes and opened the door. Since she was back in Damoria, she stayed in her own villa.Hex hung out with Matthew almost every day, so he wasn’t at home most of the time. As such, Yelena was left alone.Elspeth gazed at the woman and smiled.
“Do you want Max to propose to you, Yelena?”When Yelena heard that, she became energetic in an instant.
“What do you mean?””I have a plan.”Elspeth then went on to relate the plan that she and Callum had been devising for three hours.When Yelena was done listening to the plan, her eyes brightened as she appeared excited.
“Will that work?”With a smile, Elspeth gently knocked on the other woman’s head.
“Don’t worry. Callum and I understand Max very well. This plan will definitely work out.””Alright! Let’s go, then.”Yelena appeared even more excited than Elspeth as they headed to their first destination, a wedding dress boutique. After all, they would get engaged sooner or later. As such, they decided to save some time by trying on wedding dresses first.As they walked around the store, Yelena soon fell in love with a white mermaid wedding dress. She exclaimed in amazement,
“Wow! This dress is stunning! I really love it, Elspeth. Hold on to my bag for me. I’ll try it on now.”Elspeth nodded with a smile. Just as she was about to extend her hand, it was slapped away by someone. As a result, her hand was in pain.She retracted her hand and saw another person taking the dress away.Elspeth shot the person a cold look and realized it was Emma, who had disappeared for quite a while.Everyone, including Elspeth, knew that Emma had been suspended from work by her company. Despite her heavy makeup, it couldn’t conceal how tired she looked.Elspeth couldn’t help but sneer.
“What’s wrong, Miss Walker? Are you trying to vent your anger on others just because both your career and love life have taken a hit?”Emma’s expression changed as she felt humiliated.
“What nonsense are you spouting? You haven’t bought the dress, which means that anyone can get it. Don’t you understand? What gives you the right to say I’m venting my anger on you?”Elspeth was surprised to see that Emma had become more sharp-tongued when they finally met again.”Nonsense! I was about to try it on when you snatched it from us. We have the right to buy it first.”
Yelena blew her top. She had the urge to punch Emma when she saw the latter’s smug smile.She’s just a spent force. What makes her think she can put on airs like she’s a princess?Emma snorted.
“The dress is in my hands and there’s no one else. What’s the point of you saying all this?””How dare you?”Elspeth appeased Yelena and said to Emma with a smile,
“You have a point. Ignoring the fact that there are surveillance cameras around, we indeed can’t find other evidence.””So what if there’s surveillance footage? The dress is in my hands, so it’s mine.”Just then, the staff member finally woke up from her sleep. The moment she realized how intense the atmosphere was, her heart sank.What’s going on?Elspeth snorted.
“Usually, the person who can offer a higher price will get the dress. Why don’t we bid for the dress? It’ll go to the highest bidder.”Certainly, Emma wasn’t willing to do that.Even when she was at the peak of her fame back then, she was still significantly less wealthy than Elspeth.How was she, a celebrity, supposed to compare to a businesswoman when it came to wealth?”You have more money than me. I won’t agree to it.”If she agreed to the competition, she would be no different from being dumb.”Well, we can compete in something else. For example, how well we understand the design of this dress.”Emma appeared doubtful as she fell into her thoughts.She had no idea what Elspeth was up to.Nonetheless, she had taken part in countless fashion weeks and had been the ambassador for many luxury brands. She supposed she had a better understanding of fashion compared to Elspeth.As far as she was concerned, Elspeth majored in jewelry design at a foreign university. I guess she has nothing to do with fashion design. Taking everything into consideration, I’ll most likely win the competition.”Fine! I agree.”Elspeth motioned for Emma to speak first.The person who spoke first usually had more things to say and wouldn’t be affected by the other person. A glint flashed across Emma’s eyes.”This dress is as soft as moonlight, especially the pearls around the chest which add a hint of tenderness to it. As such, it’s more suitable for a demure woman.”She hinted that this dress wasn’t suitable for Yelena, who was a hot-tempered person.”Oh? I don’t think so.”Elspeth stepped forward and said with a smile,
“I have a different opinion.”
“What do you mean?”
Emma’s expression turned grim in an instant.
“Although there are quite some jewelry pieces on this dress, the pearls around the chest are in small pieces. In other words, the dress hasn’t been designed for demure women. Instead, only an elegant and capable woman can pull it off.”Not only had Elspeth explained who the dress was for, but she had also humiliated Emma.She had looked into Emma’s background and realized that the latter didn’t come from an influential family.Emma’s family could be considered rich, but it was to a certain extent. As such, she didn’t have any elegance to speak of.On the other hand, even when Yelena blew her top, she wouldn’t cross the boundary and embarrass herself, nor would she make anyone despise her.She remained elegant most of the time, except when she cursed in foul language.”Therefore, the dress is more suitable for Yelena in comparison.”Although the Sullivan Family kept a low profile, they were extremely powerful. It was a wonder why Emma was so untactful by offending Yelena repeatedly.Yelena was pleased that her friend was standing up for her by humiliating Emma. She’s such a good friend!Emma was exasperated as she pointed at the staff member and asked angrily,
“Who do you think will suit the dress better?””I think Miss Sullivan will look better in the dress… Before their arrival, Mr. Winthrop placed a deposit of several million with us.”A smile formed on Elspeth’s face. Callum proved to be helpful when they needed a hand. He’s done a great job.”How dare you?! All of you have joined forces to oppress me. I’ll share this incident with the media and expose your wrongdoings to the public!”When Elspeth heard that, she almost broke into laughter.”You’re free to do so, but there’s not a need for that.”Emma thought that Elspeth was timid, so she lifted her chin arrogantly.
“If you’re afraid of getting your wrongdoings exposed, be more tactful and give the dress to me.””That’s not what I meant and I’m not afraid. I just want to let you know that I’m the designer of this dress, so I can stop it from getting sold at any moment.”The smile on Emma’s face froze when she heard that.”What did you just say? Are you the designer?”Although she was stunned, she couldn’t deny the possibility as Elspeth had done many surprising things in the past.”Yes. I’m the designer of this dress. Why would I lie to you?”In fact, it was one of Elspeth’s worst designs. The best dresses were all in the underground exhibition hall of the
Azure Corporation’s headquarters, but no one would put them on.That was because Elspeth had designed those dresses based on her figure, so rarely anyone could put them on.”If you’re the designer, you could’ve told me sooner. Why did you wait until now? Are you lying again?”
Emma clicked her tongue.Elspeth’s gaze turned gloomy in an instant.”Miss, please ask your boss to come over,”
Elspeth said to the staff member with a smile.This store’s customers are mostly wealthy and powerful. Did Elspeth really design this dress?Emma started doubting herself again. However, since she had said such things, it was too late for her to run away.As such, she had no choice but to wait for the business owner’s arrival.Soon, a flamboyant-looking man stepped into the place. His azure eyes and maroon hair suggested that he was from a foreign country.”My dear Elspeth, what brings you to my store? Oh, my gosh! Are you getting married? I have to tell the world about it. Good grief! That’s such terrible news!”Elspeth said through gritted teeth,
“Harvey, if you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll throw you out of here.””Alright, alright. I’ll stop pulling your leg.”
Harvey adjusted his hair elegantly.
“Are you here to pick out a wedding dress? I have some new designs-“
“There’s no need for that. I asked you to come over because I want you to clarify something.”
Elspeth smiled.
“Did I tell you to sell this dress on my behalf?”Harvey took a closer look at the dress and nodded.
“Yes, it’s this dress. I have to tell you that many people are interested in this dress, but I’m not selling it to anyone because I’m waiting for a buyer who can offer a higher price.”Emma’s heart sank when she realized that the duo knew each other. Since it was confirmed that Elspeth was indeed the designer, there was no way she could get the dress.All the same, she didn’t want the dress; she just loved snatching things from Elspeth.Following that, she took a deep breath and turned around to leave.”Wait a minute. Didn’t you say you wanted to buy this dress?”
Elspeth blinked, appearing to be doubtful.”You can get the dress. I don’t want it anymore.”Harvey frowned.
“What’s wrong? You said you’d buy it but now, you don’t want it anymore. Where do you think my store is? You don’t have to buy it, but please register your name before leaving. Don’t ever come to my store again.”He practically stripped Emma of her right to enter the store again.Yelena covered her mouth and snickered.
“You’re making the store owner mad, Miss Walker. Why don’t you just buy it?”She wanted to buy this dress as well, but Elspeth had signaled for her to give it up just now.”How dare you?!”
Emma was so furious that she started trembling all over.She had just been suspended from work, so she had lost her only income. If she had to spend so much money to buy a dress she didn’t like, that would be utterly vexing.It’s all Elspeth’s fault!She glared at Elspeth and passed a card to the staff member.”I’ll buy it.”After trying to swipe the card, the staff member said hesitantly,
“Miss Walker, there isn’t enough credit limit left.”Emma started flushing at that point.
“I don’t want it anymore!”She then snatched the card and stormed out of the store.Yelena had the urge to roll on the floor and laugh out loud.
“That’s hilarious! I’m so glad to see Emma living miserably.”She was pleased that Emma was in a sorry state.Emma loved oppressing us in the past. She had it coming!Elspeth touched her chin.
“Your dresses here are not up to standard, Harvey.”Harvey widened his eyes in disbelief.
“What are you talking about? There’s no way my dresses are comparable to yours.”He got to know Elspeth by chance and obtained the right to sell the wedding dresses she designed. There was no denying he had gotten a lot of benefits but now, Elspeth mocked him by saying that his dresses were not up to standard.It’s not like there’s anything I can do about it!”Alright, just pretend that I’ve said nothing. We’re leaving now.”With that, Elspeth took Yelena’s hand and left the place.Yelena asked doubtfully,
“Aren’t we here to buy wedding dresses? I think the store’s wedding dresses are of good quality, especially the ones you designed. They are stunning.”There was no doubt she loved those dresses.Without responding to the other woman, Elspeth rolled her eyes.
“You’re so silly. Since I told you to come out, there’s definitely a better one waiting for you. Don’t worry. Now that you’re about to get engaged, I’ll make sure that you’ll marry the man you love in style.””I’m only going to get engaged. I won’t marry him so soon!”
Yelena corrected with a blushing face.”There’s no difference. When you get married, I’ll personally make a wedding dress for you. What do you say?”Yelena almost jumped around in happiness. She wrapped her arms around Elspeth’s neck and kissed her cheek with excitement.
“That sounds great! Thank you, Elspeth!””Your saliva! Ew!”
Elspeth and Yelena spent the entire morning shopping for wedding dresses. However, none of the dresses were up to Elspeth’s standards. After sending Yelena home, Elspeth returned to the Winthrop Residence.During dinner, all of them were seated in the dining hall. Nonetheless, Max could feel that his family members had been peeking at him. However, when he looked up, he realized no one was looking at him.Elspeth prepared a bowl of tomato soup for Callum and asked with a smile,
“Do you think the man Yelena is seeing is reliable, Callum?””Of course. Matthew is known to be a responsible man. He has been in love with Yelena for quite a while. I’m sure Yelena will be happy if they get married.”A glint flashed across Elspeth’s eyes.At the mention of Yelena, Max’s expression changed.He’s still pretending to be calm. I’ll see how much longer he can put up with this.”When are they going to meet up?”Callum took a sip of tomato soup and replied calmly,
“Tomorrow afternoon. If everything goes well, they might even get engaged on the same day as us.””Great. I’m sure Yelena will be pleased.”They were engrossed in talking about Yelena’s love life. Even Theodore and Margot took part in the conversation, saying that it was all Max’s fault. They were elated that Yelena had found a better man.Max felt his eyelids twitching.
