Chapter 1452

Ines quietly listened as Shawn endlessly praised his nephew, not understanding much of what was being said. She remained silent. After talking for a while and noticing Ines’ lack of response, Shawn thought she was being polite. "How about this? I'll give him your WhatsApp. You can have a meal together sometime and get to know each other." "I'd rather not." Ines wanted to refuse, but Shawn insisted. "Come on, you're single anyway. Meeting up won't hurt; you can still be friends if you don't click romantically." Shawn was so enthusiastic and had said so much that Ines felt refusing would be rude. After some thought, she smiled and agreed. "Okay, thank you, Director Shawn." Ines thought meeting up with the other person would be fine. He seemed so impressive; maybe he would not be interested in her. Ines felt less pressure with this in mind. Shawn nodded satisfactorily. "I'll give him your WhatsApp later, and you two can chat. I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about." Ines smiled and nodded, preparing to leave. "Alright, get going then. I'll have the documents signed and sent over to you later." "Okay, I'll get back to work then." As Ines left, Shawn immediately sent her WhatsApp to his nephew. He then sent a message, [This girl Ines isn't bad, kid. Seize the opportunity.] Exiting Shawn's office, Ines returned to her own. As she entered, she saw Solomon sitting in her office chair, legs stretched out on the desk, holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers. "What are you doing here?" Solomon stared at her, his peach blossom eyes slightly squinted, his face devoid of emotion. "Come here, light my cigarette." Ines pursed her lips, closed the office door, and walked over. She did not smoke, so there was naturally no lighter in the office. Having been by Solomon's side for years, Ines knew his preferences fairly well. She bent down slightly and retrieved a lighter from his shirt pocket. Ines' eyes flickered as she looked at the lighter in her hand. This lighter was a gift from her on his birthday two years ago. She had not expected him to carry it still. Solomon watched Ines closely. "What's wrong, can't do it?" Ines did not speak and lit the cigarette. She looked at the man so close to her, holding her breath with her palms unconsciously sweating. The man's gaze was cold and unpredictable, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips, making it difficult to discern his mood. Ines had lit cigarettes for him countless times, but she felt strangely nervous and agitated this time. Solomon took a drag of the cigarette, watching as Ines leaned in. Her familiar fragrance drifted into his nostrils, making him momentarily consider tossing away the cigarette in his mouth. What was the point of smoking when her scent was the best? "I’m done." After lighting the cigarette, Ines did not linger; she stood up straight and prepared to step back. The next moment, Solomon reached out his arm, pulling her into his embrace and settling her on his lap. "What are you doing, Solomon? Let go!" Ines struggled but could not break free from the man's tight grip.