Chapter 5 Before Cecilia could state her purpose , two rich guys in suits pushed in , also asking to see Mr. Hall . She quietly moved aside , finally realizing why people joked about the line being miles long . The receptionist , clearly used to such situations , responded with a professional smile , " Mr. Hall's schedule is fully booked at the moment . Please leave your details , and I'll let you know if he becomes available . " The others listed fancy job titles and company names . Cecilia peeked , knowing her plain office worker background didn't help , so she scribbled , [ Mr. Hall , I'm the designer of " A Wishing Girl ," which your family acquired four years ago . I want to include it in an upcoming exhibition . Please contact me at your convenience . ] With the exhibition deadline approaching , Cecilia grew increasingly anxious . She visited Hall Group daily , before work , during lunch breaks , and after hours , persistently waiting for a chance to meet Mr. Hall . גוור The receptionist , now familiar with her routine , would politely explain his unavailability each time . Despite the mounting frustration , Cecilia remained determined , though she couldn't shake the discouragement of how elusive the heir seemed to be . ***** " Your ex's family knows the Halls , doesn't they ? " Cecilia asked Chloe . " Do you think there's any way to get me introduced ? That might help . " " They probably do , but I'm not contacting my ex , " Chloe said firmly . She unfolded the property blueprints on the table with a sigh . " We need to decide fast . Renovations take forever . Just pick whichever spot you like best . " Cecilia glanced through the options . " Honestly , they all look perfect to me , " she said with a shrug . " You've got better taste anyway . Just pick your favorite and let's go with that . " " Typical you ," Chloe laughed , rubbing her temples . " I'm done over - thinking this . If they're all good , let's grab the priciest one and call it a day . " The agent's face lit up like he had won the lottery at her no - budget attitude . Then Cecilia's phone buzzed with an incoming call from Charles . " Hope you didn't forget my birthday . I've booked a private dining room . Just sent you the details . Be there on time . " Charles and Cecilia were also college buddies , so she agreed to go without hesitation . *** When Cecilia arrived and opened the door , she wasn't surprised to see Gavin there . He sat beside Charles , a cigarette between his fingers , a drink in his other hand . His eyes skimmed past her without stopping , as if she weren't even worth noticing . " Cecilia , sit here . " Charles immediately stood up and tried to smooth things over . All their mutual friends at the table knew that Cecilia broke up with Gavin before the wedding . " Happy birthday , Charles ," Cecilia said with a warm smile , passing him a neatly wrapped gift . As she reached into her bag , the property floor plans she had been carrying slipped out and fluttered to the ground beside them . " Thanks . " Charles took the gift , then grinned at the fallen papers . " No wonder you've been MIA . Shopping for wedding locations ? " Hearing that , Gavin shot a glance at Cecilia , who stayed silent . That familiar mocking smile played on his lips . 1/3 12:43 Tue , Aug 12 G 95 % - 回 X +15 Chapter 5 The air hung heavy with cigarette smoke . Cecilia settled by the door where she could breathe . " Come on , Gavin ," Charles said , " planning a wedding solo is not easy . You really want to throw away all those years together over nothing ? " Around them , friends nodded , nudging Gavin to do the right thing . Gavin put his drink down and blew out a cloud of smoke . " Let's get this straight , " he said , staring at Cecilia . " You've been acting childish this whole time . Stella worked hard to get where she is , while you've had everything handed to you . Now that your family's broke , maybe it's time to grow up ." Cecilia's eyes went cold when he brought up her family . " I'm proud to be a Jordan . No matter what ." Those old memories of her father were precious , not weak spots for Gavin to poke at . Yet he twisted the knife anyway . " Alright , Gavin , enough , " Xavier jumped in , siding with Charles . He gave a knowing smirk . " Let's be real . You're the one who spoiled her for years . That's on you , man . Own it ." At that moment , Gavin's phone rang . " Stella ? " His voice softened . " You should be resting , not running around with a fever . Stay put . I'm on my way . " He snatched his suit jacket and pushed back his chair . " Gotta go . Next round is my treat ." Walking past Cecilia , Gavin saw her looking down . ' Finally realizing her mistakes ,' he thought . With a cold tone , he said , " Figure out where you went wrong first . Don't even think about wedding plans until then . " Cecilia didn't even glance his way as Gavin left . She picked up her fork with deliberate calm . " What ? " She raised an eyebrow at the gawking faces around the table . " Never seen someone eat dinner before ? " Xavier cleared his throat . " Cecilia , don't read too much into it . Guys like Gavin have to keep up appearances sometimes . You know how it is . At least he always comes home to you in the end ." Charles quickly changed the subject , nodding at the papers sticking out of her bag . " Need an extra pair of hands ? " Cecilia just shook her head with a polite but firm smile . The whole group figured Cecilia would fold like always . After all , she and Gavin had been inseparable since childhood . Everyone just assumed she would eventually forgive him and set a wedding date like nothing happened . ** Cecilia balanced her laptop and phone , her mom's face smiling on screen . " So , darling ," Lily began , " how was that dinner with Henry ? Has he called you yet ? " Cecilia shrugged , scrolling through emails with her free hand . " No word from him yet , " she said absently . " But it's fine . He's probably swamped at the office . " " Mr. Quinn says he's just shy . He never had a girlfriend . " Lily noticed the unfamiliar background behind her daughter . " Cecilia , you've worked at Foster Group all these years . You and Gavin , is there something between you ? " " Mom , I've left the job . " Cecilia's voice stayed calm , but firm . " I'm finally doing work that matters to me . And at this point in my life , I'm ready for marriage , kids , the whole future I used to imagine ." She had spent too many years waiting for the wrong man , and now she was done . As the call ended , Cecilia turned back to her work , but a sudden buzz from her phone made her pause . It was Henry , [ Sorry , work's been crazy . Free for dinner this Friday ? ] Cecilia let out a quiet laugh . " I'm sure Mom talked to his uncle . They must have pushed him to text me . " Not wanting to let her mother down , she quickly typed back , [ Friday's perfect . You choose the place . Just tell me where to show up . ] 2/3 12:43 Tue , Aug 12 G Chapter 5 95 % O X - Gavin's stomach growled loudly in the empty kitchen . The untouched sandwich on the counter looked dry and unappetizing . He suddenly remembered those buttery croissants Cecilia used to get for him , warm , flaky , perfect . But the fridge held only takeout boxes and half - empty jars . Gavin rubbed his aching stomach and grabbed his phone . He typed out [ Where did you get those croissants ] and hit send , only to see the message fail with a red warning . He stared at the screen in disbelief . Cecilia had actually blocked him . 3/3