Chapter 18 Dusk deepened beyond the floor - to - ceiling windows , casting a soft glow across Jesse's face that erased the aloofness he'd carried when she first saw him at the airport . Shirley introduced herself . He stood to pull out her chair , knuckles prominent as his hand hovered near the chairback . " Never imagined we'd meet again like this . " Shirley placed documents on the table . " Quite the coincidence . " Seating herself , she noticed Jesse sliding the menu toward her . " Let's order first . Any dietary restrictions , Miss Shirley ? " Jesse's slender fingers traced the dish photos . " Their Firecracker Chicken Bowl is excellent . Allergic to seafood ? " This detail made Shirley pause briefly . Back when attending dinners with Timothy , hosts invariably ordered only what Patricia enjoyed . Never cared about her restrictions . Didn't even know about her allergies . " I'm allergic to seafood , but anything else is fine . " She snapped back to reality . " Mr. Roberts , about the contract … " 000 % 00:30 Chapter 18 289 inchers " Let's eat first . " Jesse closed the menu and signaled the waiter . " We'll discuss work after the meal . " Throughout dinner , Jesse expertly steered their conversation . He shifted topics from industry trends to Dutch cityscapes , carefully avoiding any mention of the contract . Shirley tasted the tender beef stew , admitting its deliciousness made pressing for business talk impossible . Only when the waiter served dessert did Jesse slowly open the contract . He began reviewing it , occasionally jotting notes in the margins with his fountain pen . Outside the window , darkness had completely fallen . " Miss Campbell's proposal shows great sincerity . " Jesse slid the contract back , " But regarding the after - sales terms , I'll need to confirm with my team . " He glanced at his watch , its face flashing cold light under the lamps . " It's too late today . Shall we reschedule for tomorrow ? " Shirley's fingers tightened around the edge of the contract . Since their reunion , Jesse hadn't seemed surprised at all . Yet she simply rose with a smile . " Thank you , Mr. Roberts . " As she stepped out of the restaurant , the sweltering summer night hit her face , the heat feeling suffocating . 27.16 % 00:30 Chapter 18 1288 ¡ Vouchers Shirley had just unlocked her phone when Barbara's call came through . Shirley watched the neon lights flickering across the street as Jesse's black sedan slowly merged into traffic . " Quite interesting , that man . " " Careful he doesn't stall ! " Barbara's urgent voice crackled through the phone . " Starlight International's been talking to several companies lately . You need to move fast ! " Shirley stared at the unsent contract revision reminder on her phone , tapping open the document . " Relax , I've got this . " Gazing into the night , she suddenly remembered how unusually long Jesse had paused on one particular page while reviewing the contract . That exact page held her deliberately planted bargaining chip . Shirley felt pretty confident about this negotiation , though Jesse puzzled her a bit . But for some reason , she knew he'd definitely agree to sign this order . This was Shirley's gut feeling . " But Shirley ! This guy's notoriously picky - he usually rejects collaboration offers outright ! " Shirley paused her hand holding the phone , the streetlight's glow falling on her face . 59 57 % 00.30 Chapter 18 1288 Vouchers " But he said yesterday he'd reconsider the contract . " " That means there's hope ! " Barbara almost screamed . " If he wasn't interested , he'd have dismissed you right away . Saying he'll think about it means he's at least seventy percent on board ! Follow up fast - don't slack off ! " " Okay . " After hanging up , Shirley hailed a cab , and once she got in , the stuffiness instantly eased . 89.48 %