Chapter 26 The Perfect Pair Oriana was completely stunned. "Mr. Caldwell?" That single name took her brain over a minute to fully process. Her stiff, awkward, and conflicted gaze finally turned toward the refined, noble-looking man beside her, and she almost bit her tongue. "So you're Micah," she said. Her husband, who had been abroad and might not have returned in time, was this man. "Yes, Mrs. Caldwell. Mr. Caldwell happened to finish his trip early and made a special detour to Seabar this morning to personally pick you up," Kieran said. Kieran seemed to sense something, his gaze toward Micah filled with disbelief. Kieran hadn't expected Micah, usually so stern and unsmiling, to play such a little game with Oriana. Receiving Micah's sharp look in return, Kieran touched his nose awkwardly, took the luggage from the staff, gestured for them to follow, and hurried ahead to lead the way. Micah noticed Oriana still standing frozen. He cleared his throat softly. "I was worried you'd feel tense on the plane." Then he turned his eyes fully toward her, his tone deliberate and serious. "Hello. I'm Micah." Oriana recalled the faint dark circles under his eyes on the plane. He'd just flown back from overseas and instead of resting, had made a detour to Seabar. He really treated himself like an iron man. Oriana told herself not to overthink, not to assume intentions out of malice; even if Grant had deceived and hurt her, she couldn't automatically mistrust someone else's kindness. She lifted the corners of her mouth slightly and responded with solemnity, "Hello, Mr. Caldwell." Micah seemed to notice the faint smile in her voice, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Let's go. We're going home," he said. That simple sentence stirred something in Oriana's heart. "Okay," she said, smiling, ***** Back in Seabar, the signing ceremony concluded smoothly. Later, Aurora's core team hosted a celebration banquet. 1/3 Grant, strikingly handsome, appeared alongside Luna in formal attire, drawing admiration and astonished glances from everyone. "Mr. Holloway is truly exceptional, both in looks and intelligence; he's a standout among his peers." "Absolutely. Mr. Holloway outshines all of us." "Is the woman with Mr. Holloway his girlfriend? He just rose to fame earlier this year. I was hoping to introduce my daughter to him, but he's already taken." "Listen to the envy in your voice? She's Ms. Sterling, the biggest investor in Aurora. Your daughter losing to her isn't shameful." "Mr. Sterling? Oh, I remember. Recently at my youngest son's SAT rally, Ms. Sterling represented Seabar University on stage. She's impressive indeed." "More than that. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling have nothing but praise for their daughter. She's not just academically brilliant, she's well-connected. Today's signing ceremony was largely thanks to her efforts; one daughter can outshine several sons." "A perfect match of talent and beauty. That's the real power couple. Aurora's future in the hands of such young people will surely achieve great things." Listening to the admiration and envy around them, Luna linked her arm with Grant's, radiating pride and satisfaction. As she expected, she had become the evening's center of attention. No one could steal her spotlight. "Grant, before meeting the mayor and his wife, you should eat a little to settle your stomach," Luna said, taking a pastry from a nearby tray. Noticing his attention drifting, her smile tightened slightly. She glanced at him and bit her lower lip softly. "Grant are you still thinking about Oriana?" Grant snapped back to focus, replying simply, "Don't overthink it." Luna smiled wryly, "I know Oriana's behavior earlier today shocked you. I didn't expect her to suddenly lose her temper like that. But I already sent her a message to apologize. She-" "What did she say?" Grant asked immediately. A flash of mockery crossed Luna's eyes as she looked pitifully at her phone and opened the chat. "Oriana blocked me." Grant narrowed his eyes. Earlier, before the afternoon ceremony began, Luna had sent a long apology to Oriana. Oriana hadn't responded. 2/3 Chapter 26 The Perfect Pair Finished Even when the banquet began and Luna kindly invited her again, she discovered she had been blocked. The anger Grant had been suppressing flared anew. His voice tightened. "It's not your fault. You don't need to apologize to her." Luna tried again. "But Oriana?" "Don't worry about it," he interrupted, firm and decisive. Grant hadn't received any security alerts on his phone since then, meaning Oriana had gone home and stayed in her room. She hadn't even eaten dinner. s using this method to resist him, to draw his attention and care. 20 3/3 My Heal Finished