THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.-Chapter 341

Oliver and Cora sat inside the exclusive room, taking in the intimate space that held only three tables. These weren't just any ordinary tables - they were reserved for the most elite clients, the kind of people who had money that never seemed to run out. This whole setup happened just once every three months, and only three lucky people got the chance to experience this level of luxury at a time.

Cora's eyes wandered around the room, drinking in every detail of the gorgeous ambience. The soft lighting made everything look like something out of a movie, and she could feel herself getting more impressed by the second. She turned to look at Oliver, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I have to confess something," she said, her voice carrying a hint of surprise mixed with admiration.

"I really wasn't expecting something like this from you at all." She paused for a moment, studying his face.

"I honestly thought you were way too serious with life to even have something like this cross your mind."

Hearing what Cora just said, Oliver couldn't help but let out a laugh that came straight from his chest. "Why would you even say something like that?" he asked, shaking his head with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Look, I was just being protective all those while, but that doesn't mean I can't be romantic when I want to be." He leaned back in his chair, looking at her with an expression that made her heart skip.

"Now that all those things are in the past, I really want to show you my romantic side."

Cora felt the heat rush to her cheeks, and she knew her face had to be turning red.

"Hello, this is just way too much for me today," she said, her voice coming out softer than she intended.

"It feels like I'm dreaming or something, and I honestly don't even know what to say right now."

Oliver's lips curved into a smile as he watched her struggle with her words.

"Well, it seems like this is something both of us want, so we might as well enjoy the day to the fullest, right?"

Cora nodded, still trying to calm down the butterflies going crazy in her stomach. At that moment, the atmosphere between them felt perfect, like nothing could ruin it. But then someone walked up behind Cora, their voice cutting through the moment like a knife.

"Wait, is this not Cora?"

At that moment, upon hearing that voice, Cora felt her stomach drop like she had just fallen off a cliff. She knew exactly who that voice belonged to, and there was absolutely no mistaking it. There was no other person in this world who could make her feel this uncomfortable with just four simple words - Penelope.

Penelope was what anyone with half a brain would call a toxic friendship disaster waiting to happen. Their whole relationship had been built on nothing but competition from day one, the kind of friendship where Penelope literally competed with her over every single little thing you could think of. Whether it was clothes, grades, boys, or even something as stupid as who ordered their coffee first - Penelope always had to make it into some kind of contest.

The worst part was that Penelope's family had struck it rich when they traveled overseas a few years back. They had moved to some fancy country and somehow managed to build an empire that made them way bigger and more powerful than they ever were back home. All that new money had made Penelope ten times more annoying than she used to be, and that was really saying something.

Cora felt like her whole body had turned to stone, but she forced herself to slowly turn around in her chair. The moment she saw who was standing there, she knew her peaceful evening had just gone straight down the drain. It was definitely Penelope, looking like she had just stepped off some magazine cover with her perfect hair and expensive outfit. But this time around, she wasn't flying solo like she usually did. There was some guy standing right next to her, and from the way he was dressed, it was obvious he came from serious money too.

Penelope cleared her throat in that annoying way she always did when she wanted everyone's attention, and then a smug smile spread across her perfectly made-up face.

"I knew it, I just knew it was you," she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness that made Cora want to roll her eyes.

"Even though I didn't get a good look at your face from behind, I could tell it was you from a mile away."

Hearing Penelope's words, Cora forced a smile onto her face, even though every fiber of her being wanted to do the complete opposite. She really didn't like Penelope that much, especially because of how severely competitive the girl had always been about literally everything.

But then again, maybe time had done its work on both of them. Perhaps Penelope had finally outgrown all those childish behaviors she used to have back in the day, all that unnecessary drama and constant need to be better than everyone else.

Penelope's smile widened as she looked down at Cora still seated at the table, and her voice came out smooth and practiced, like she had rehearsed this moment a hundred times in her head.

"Well, it's really nice to see you again, Cora," she said, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"How long has it actually been since we last saw each other?"

Before Cora could even open her mouth to answer, Penelope jumped right back in with her own answer, not really caring about what Cora might have to say.

"I think it's been about seven years, or maybe even eight?" She tapped her finger against her chin like she was thinking really hard about it.

"I honestly cannot remember the exact number clearly, but I know for sure it's been a really long time."