Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 42: "She Is My Girlfriend, Rory Linden.

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: "She Is My Girlfriend, Rory Linden.

Rory first lifted her arms and draped the tie around the man’s neck. "Is a Windsor knot okay?"

"Alright."

Sean Harrison nodded.

Rory was quite good at tying ties, and in just a few quick movements, she had fashioned a perfect Windsor knot.

Sean Harrison straightened up slightly and looked at his reflection in the mirror by the closet door. "It looks great. Did you used to tie Miles’s ties for him often?"

"No," Rory answered honestly. "He asked me to at first, but I wasn’t very good at it—they always came out looking messy. Even though I practiced on my own later, he never asked for my help again."

The corners of Sean Harrison’s lips curved as he said, very earnestly, "I’m not very good at tying my own tie. Could I trouble you to do it for me in the future?"

"Of course."

Rory agreed.

She was completely oblivious to the trap laid within his question.

After they finished changing, they left for the underground garage together.

The shoes Rory paired with the qipao were the high heels Sherry Walsh had given her the other day.

The shoes were gorgeous, but the heels were a little too high.

Just stepping out of the elevator, Rory could already feel that the height of the heels was difficult for her to manage.

As she struggled to walk forward gracefully, the man extended his arm to her.

At the same time, he asked, "Do you need to hold on?"

"Thank you, Mr. Harrison."

Rory quickly reached out and took Sean Harrison’s arm.

The man slowed his pace, accommodating her stride. "It looks like you really do intend to tie my tie for me from now on."

It took Rory a moment to realize she had just used one of the "taboo" words that extended her stay.

To her, though, it wasn’t a big deal.

Once the matter with Gary Sinclair was resolved, she would leave as planned. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

During this time, Rory felt she had come to understand Sean Harrison a little better.

’She figured his reason for setting up these ’time-adding’ words wasn’t so much to make her stay longer as it was to keep her from feeling pressured.’

Rory asked, "By the way... Gary Sinclair hasn’t contacted me recently. Have you heard anything?"

She couldn’t deny she was willing to stay with Sean Harrison a little longer.

But...

The problem still had to be resolved.

Staying with him for too long would do her no good; she would probably only find herself growing more attracted to him.

And she would want more and more.

In the end, she would be the only one who got hurt.

"Nothing for now. We can wait a little longer." Sean Harrison paused. "But we can’t rule out the possibility that he got scared and backed off after discovering I’m your boyfriend."

"How about... I move out of here for the time being," Rory suggested. "What if he decides you’re too much trouble and goes back to his ex-wife instead?"

Rory was grateful to have Sean Harrison as her safe harbor.

But Gary Sinclair’s ex-wife didn’t, and neither did her little girl.

She couldn’t just stand by and watch Gary Sinclair’s ex-wife and her daughter become the next her and her own mother.

They reached the car.

Sean Harrison opened the back door for her. "Don’t worry. My people are looking for Gary Sinclair, too. We’ll get a result."

On a Saturday evening, the traffic wasn’t nearly as heavy as on a weekday.

The car entered the grounds of a luxury resort hotel in the Veridia Suburbs.

It circled the fountain in front of the hotel and stopped at the main entrance.

In the car, Sean Harrison had told her that he had booked the entire venue. Everyone she saw inside, besides the servers, was a guest at the engagement party.

After getting out of the car, Rory followed Sean Harrison toward the banquet hall.

They passed seven or eight people on the way.

The men were dressed in well-tailored suits, and every woman was elegantly dressed for the occasion.

Everyone looked perfectly at ease, completely in their element.

They drew closer and closer to the banquet hall.

At the thought that every single person here, aside from her, was either rich or powerful, Rory grew uncontrollably nervous. Her hand on the man’s arm tightened involuntarily.

Sensing her anxiety, Sean Harrison gently covered her hand with his and said in a warm voice, "Don’t worry. I’m here for anything that comes up. Trust me."

His words seemed to carry a certain power, momentarily soothing her tense emotions.

When they reached the entrance to the banquet hall, Sean Harrison patted her hand again and reassured her, "No one here would dare to disrespect me. You’re my girlfriend. No matter what you say or do, people will only applaud you for it."

His every word was gentle and filled with affection.

Rory’s heart felt like it skipped a beat.

’If this man ever took up acting,’ she thought, ’he would be incredible.’

For a split second, she truly believed she was his girlfriend.

Defended by him, sheltered by him, and...

deeply loved.

Rory became even more keenly aware of the man’s acting prowess as they entered the hall together.

The moment they walked into the hall, people immediately swarmed over to greet them.

No matter what was being discussed, a question would invariably be directed at her.

"President Harrison, this is the first time I’ve seen you with a date at a banquet. This lady must be quite special."

"President Harrison, and this lovely lady beside you is...?"

"President Harrison, aren’t you going to introduce me to the lovely lady by your side?"

The questions came in many forms.

But Sean Harrison’s answer was always the same.

He would say, "She’s my girlfriend, Rory Linden."

No matter how many people came up to them or how many times the same question was asked.

The man would patiently answer again and again, his tone solemn each time.

After one middle-aged couple inquired about Rory’s identity, the wife added with a beaming smile, "President Harrison never used to have any women around him. Now you’re bringing her to an engagement party—does that mean we’ll be hearing wedding bells soon? Remember to invite us when you get married! We’ll be sure to give a generous gift."

Rory had maintained her smile the whole time.

But when she heard that question, her smile grew a little stiff.

She didn’t mind for herself, but she was worried it would be a difficult question for Sean Harrison to answer.

The man glanced at her and chuckled. "That depends on when she’s willing to marry me. If she says yes tonight, I’ll send invitations to everyone here tomorrow."

The woman who’d asked the question looked at Rory. "Oh, Miss Linden, a man as wonderful as President Harrison is a rare find! You shouldn’t hesitate. Say yes soon, so we can all celebrate your wedding!"

Sean Harrison spoke up for her again. "Something like this requires careful thought. I’m not in a rush. I’m very patient and can wait for her to consider it properly."

Rory’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

As the conversation went back and forth, that hand tightened its grip, little by little.

Her heart ached with a bittersweet pang.

Suddenly, she found herself hating Sean Harrison just a little.

’Who tells lies with the same sincerity they use for the truth?’

Once the couple had walked away, Rory couldn’t stop herself from opening her mouth to reason with Sean.

She was just about to speak when...

"Rory!"

Rory looked toward the sound of the voice.

Evelyn Irving and her husband, Ronan Harrison, were standing a few yards away.