When Love Is a Lie (Whitney and Damian)

Whitney handed the contract to Damian, who passed it straight to Billy. Then, he said, "I have an important dinner tonight. I want you to come with me."

Whitney rarely attended any of Damian's events before and was even less inclined now. She put on a straight face and said, "I'm still not feeling well, so I won't be able to make it." Damian simply smiled. "In that case, help me pick out a tie." He stepped closer and leaned in, murmuring, "It's been a while since you last chose one for me."

The warmth of his breath near her ear made her instinctively step back. "I'm not great at picking ties. Why don't you have Mr. Lawson help?" she replied curtly.

Billy immediately shook his head. "Oh no, Ms. Spencer. I wouldn't know the first thing about picking out ties. The ones you choose always suit Mr. Howard best."

Whitney refused to move while Damian watched her quietly. She could sense the curious glances and hear the whispers of the store staff. It would be better for her if she picked one and quickly left. "Alright," she said, giving in. "What suit will you be wearing, and where's the event?"

"The one that arrived last month, the one you said suited me. The event's at a gallery," Damian replied sultrily.

Whitney ignored him, turned to the display cases, and scanned the rows of ties. She quickly selected a black tie with a platinum clasp and handed it to him.

"It's formal enough for the event but suits the gallery setting."

Damian didn't take it. Instead, he smiled with amusement. "And you said you weren't good at picking ties?" He leaned closer again. "Help me put it on."

His expression, tone, and every action seemed designed to suggest something more. Whitney frowned. "You asked me to pick, and I did. If you want to try it on, you can do it yourself or ask the staff." Damian raised an eyebrow, lowering his voice. "I asked you to choose because you always find the perfect one. Putting it on is part of that. Unless you'd prefer to have an audience?" he said softly. Whitney noticed the store staff watching them with quiet interest.

Without another word, she raised her hands and fastened the tie around Damian's collar, his warm breath brushing against her cheek. She turned her head slightly, and through the glass, she caught a familiar figure outside.

Across the hall, Noel was leading a

group. He was dressed in a crisp dark suit, and his jawline appeared tense. Occasionally, he would glance at the blueprints held by one of his colleagues. en FindNovel

Noticing her pause, Damian looked down. "Something wrong?"

Whitney quickly looked away. "No, nothing."

Meanwhile, as Noel listened to his team's updates, he sensed someone looking his way.

He turned to see Whitney through the store window, standing close to Damian. She was adjusting his tie as he watched her intently.

"Mr. Howard?" one of his team members called, snapping him back.noveldrama

Noel's expression hardened. "That's

all for now. There are too many issues in these blueprints.

Redesigning is even more complet

than a new build. Tell the contractors that they're off the project if they can't properly review

their work before sending it."

It wasn't a reprimand, but his tone was sharp enough that his team exchanged wary glances. Something was off with Noel. He'd been fine a moment ago.

...

Just as she got off work, Whitney received a call from Yvette excitedly announcing that she had landed a major client and wanted to celebrate.

As soon as Whitney stepped out of Howard Group, she spotted Yvette leaning against a bright red sports car, twirling her keys around her finger.

"I even invited Helena. Tonight, we're not going home!"

But there was still no sign of Helena

after half an hour at the bar. Just then, both of their phones lit up with a notification. Whitney and Yvette picked them up simultaneously to see a message from Helena in their group chat.

"I just remembered I made plans with a young hottie. I'm not coming. And don't think I'm ditching you for him!"

Yvette sighed, "Only Helena could pull this. She doesn't let anything get to her, not even Gavin. How many guys does this make it? No way, we can't let her outdo us!"

Just as she finished her sentence, two men slipped into the seats beside them, one on either side.