When Love Is a Lie (Whitney and Damian)

Noel's lips curved into a slight smile. "Did you think you'd get through this without shedding a drop? Your firm's bid is the highest, but we haven't reached the pricing discussion yet." It was the first time Whitney had seen him smile. Even though she only caught it out of the corners of her eyes, her heart gave a small jolt.

Helena looked slightly distressed and was just about to say something else when she suddenly received a work call.

"Something urgent came up. I need to go handle it."

As Helena got up to leave, Whitney started to rise as well.

"Sorry, Whitney. We'll have to check out the banquet hall tomorrow. And I can't take you home." Helena glanced at Noel. "Noel, could I trouble you by giving Whitney a ride?"

And with that, Helena gathered her things and hurried out of the café like a whirlwind.

Whitney sighed, frustrated. She wanted to call after Helena, but she was already gone. Turning to Noel, she said, "Um, you don't need to drive me. I know you're busy. You don't have to worry about me." She moved to stand, indicating that she needed him to slide out of the booth.

Since she was seated on the inside, she couldn't leave unless Noel stood up or she awkwardly climbed over him.noveldrama

But Noel didn't move.

As for climbing over him? Absolutely not.

"Noel, could you please let me out?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Still, Noel didn't budge.

Whitney's irritation flared, and she used his full name. "Noel Howard, let me out. I want to go home."

At last, he looked up, his gaze cool and intense. His well-shaped but not overly thin lips parted slightly as he asked, "Didn't you say you didn't want to see me?"

"You misunderstood. I didn't know Helena was meeting you to drop off documents," Whitney replied, her tone clipped. She was clearly irritated.

"But you saw me as soon as you walked in, so why didn't you leave?"

Whitney had no answer for that.

He was right. If she truly hadn't wanted to see him, she could have turned around and walked out when she spotted him.

"That would've made Helena suspicious," she said finally.

"Suspicious of what?" Noel's gaze held steady as if he were trying to read every flicker of emotion on her face.

Whitney looked away for a moment, then met his eyes again. A trace of frustration was visible in her expression.

Was he really going to pretend he didn't know?

In the eyes of the Howards, her relationship with Noel was supposed to be distant and formal, strictly respectful. Any hint of unusual behavior would only invite unwanted attention.

"If I don't let you leave, are you planning to just stand here and let everyone inside watch?" Noel took a sip of water, his gaze steady. "Sit down."

The café was busy, and there was a good chance someone here knew Noel.

Reluctantly, Whitney sat back down.

"You're planning to go check the banquet hall?" he asked.

He must have overheard Helena mention it before she left.

"Yes," Whitney replied, avoiding his eyes.

"There's probably nothing left to find there. There are no cameras in the restroom, and the only one outside that could've helped was broken that night. None of the other angles are useful. Even if there's footage of Rachel or Jenny, it wouldn't prove anything." Whitney looked at him in surprise. He had already checked the scene?

"Even if the chances are slim, I can't give up. I can't let Yvette take the fall because of me," she said.

Whitney knew how much Yvette cared about her career, and she knew the sacrifices Yvette had made to build her business. The success of her studio hadn't come easy-it had cost her a lot.

Noel tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "You could try to find witnesses from that night-the waiters or guests."

Right. Why hadn't she thought of that?

Whitney's mind raced with possibilities, and she shifted restlessly, eager to get started.

"I wasn't done," Noel added, noticing her readiness to bolt. "The odds of a guest seeing anything are low. If Jenny planned to set you up, she would've waited until no one was around. And with so many people, how are you planning to find someone?" Moreover, the waiters were fewer in number, and each one had a designated area.

"Got it," Whitney said, standing up again.

This time, Noel rose with her, following her outside.

"I told you, I don't need a ride," Whitney reminded him.

"I'm going home too. Is that a problem?" Noel replied, his tone unreadable.

Whitney had no comeback for that.

Noel's black G-Wagon was parked by the curb, and with rush hour in full swing, the streets were packed with traffic.

"At this hour, you're not going to get a cab. Just come with me."

He took a few steps toward the car but paused when he noticed she hadn't followed. He turned back to look at her.

Seeing his expectant look, Whitney said, "Just because you gave me a new lead doesn't mean I'm not mad anymore. I'm not getting in your car."

Offering a new direction for the investigation didn't erase the fact that he had sided with Rachel. Those were two separate things. The frustration she felt toward him hadn't faded.

Noel held her gaze for a long moment, his expression cool and detached. "Suit yourself," he finally said.