Chapter 22 After leaving Kane Pharmaceutical Group , Giselle got into her car and meandered down the road . Recalling her passionate encounter with Donovan earlier , she drifted into thought , her gaze growing unreadable . Over the next two days , Giselle threw herself back into work , trying to clean up the mess in her career . She first paid nearly two million dollars in compensation to appease the customers , then hired a lawyer to handle the ongoing lawsuit . Finally , she had to deal with the issue of reopening her veterinary clinic . With the news of the pet deaths spreading all over the internet , her clinic's reputation was completely ruined . There was no salvaging it . She had no choice but to change her clinic's name and start over from scratch . However , her existing shops were still under forced closure and regulatory inspection . Even if the issues were mostly resolved , the scandal had caused too much damage . Getting approval to reopen would take a long time . One afternoon , when Giselle was sweating it out on her treadmill at home , her phone rang . Slowing her pace , she grabbed the phone and looked at the screen . It was Zachary calling . She answered the call right away . It turned out that he was asking her out to dinner . Ever since the last time they went mountain biking together , they hadn't seen each other . She'd been overwhelmed with problems , while his schedule was tight . After all , he had to be ready to retum to Usna anytime to continue his studies . Considering that he'd helped her quite a bit and had just returned from Usna , she agreed to hang out with him . She was drenched in sweat after her workout . After taking a shower and changing into clean clothes , she put on some light makeup before heading out . This time , she was dressed more casually in a white fitted crop top and wide - leg denim jeans . With her flawless skin and great figure , even this effortless look made her exceptionally mesmerizing . Dinner was at an Agatonian restaurant downtown - peaceful and tucked away despite being in a bustling area . When she arrived , Zachary was already waiting nearby . At a place where the average meal cost 10 thousand dollars per person , parking was never an issue . The servers welcomed them politely as they stepped inside , basking in the soft and serene lighting . Through the open kitchen , they could see chefs in crisp white uniforms cooking elegantly . The ambiance and service were top - tier . Led by a server , the two were brought to a private room on the second floor that had been reserved in advance . Thanks to Zachary's boyish charm , interacting with him was never daunting . " Didn't you just go back to Usna not long ago ? Why are you back again so soon ? " Giselle asked , sitting down . " Well , I'm graduating soon , " he replied . " My dad wants me to get some experience in the company , so coming back to Valanthea more often is definitely going to be the norm now . " Born with a silver spoon , Zachary had been studying abroad since middle school . He'd received years of elite education and even skipped grades , earning a master's degree at a young age . " You're pretty impressive with your studies , huh ? You actually got into MIT , " she remarked , trying to make conversation . She herself had grown up overseas too , but due to her family issues at the time , she hadn't been focused on academics and only ended up at an average university . Elite universities had never been an option for her . Zachary let out a helpless sigh . " Only because my family was so hard on me . I'm the only grandson of this generation , so everyone's eyes are on me . It's exhausting ! " " But your family's really wealthy , " Giselle said . " Your parents should've had a few more kids to ease the pressure on you . " " Well … " Zachary's voice trailed off , his expression turning grim . " Back then , I actually had an older sister . " But she died in an accident when she was ten . After that , my mom couldn't have any more children … " " Sorry , " she said quietly , realizing she'd touched a nerve . " It's alright . " Zachary shrugged . " It's been almost 20 years . My family's more or less moved on . Honestly , I just wish my uncle would hurry up and get married , so he'd give my grandma more grandkids . Then I'd be off the hook ! " Hearing him mention Donovan , Giselle felt somewhat uneasy . She took a sip of water to mask her discomfort . " But right then , Zachary asked , " By the way , was there something important you needed to see my uncle about when you asked me for the passkey to his office the other day ? "