Chapter 417

After a couple of seconds, Teresa said, “Jennifer’s watching Isabel today, so she’s not home. I can go to dinner with you, but you have to make it clear to your friends that I’m not your girlfriend.”

“Deal,” Sanford agreed, a glint flashing in his eyes as he glanced at his watch. “So, are we going over now, or do you want to go get changed first?”

Teresa said, “I’ll go freshen up. Wait for me in the car—no need to come upstairs.”

“Alright.” Sanford finally stopped following her.

After Teresa got home, she realized she couldn’t call Miriam tonight—Edward was drunk, and Miriam was busy taking care of him. Teresa turned to Michael and said, “Honey, I need to step out for a bit, but I’ll be back soon. If you’re scared to be home alone, I’ll ask Aunt Jennifer to come watch you and Isabel.”

“No!” Michael and Isabel shook their heads almost in unison. Michael patted his chest. “Mom, I can take care of Aunt Isabel. Just come back soon, and watch out for bad guys.”

Isabel bounced on the couch. “No, I don’t want her! She’s so mean, and she’s always yelling at you. Don’t ask her to come.”

But honestly, besides Jennifer and Miriam, Teresa didn’t have anyone else she could count on to watch the kids. Sherry hadn’t come back. The last time Teresa had spoken to her, Sherry had mentioned that Christian’s mother was battling late-stage cancer and didn’t have much time left. Teresa couldn’t possibly bother her during such a difficult time.

As Sanford was getting impatient waiting at the door, Teresa finally headed downstairs and got into the car. Sanford glanced over at her in the passenger seat—her hair loosely tied back, a light beige V-neck top showing off her fair collarbones.

“Why aren’t you wearing the dress you wore at Jennifer’s engagement? It looked amazing on you,” Sanford said.

“It’s not a celebration tonight. Why would I wear it?” Teresa replied.

Sanford mustered his courage, reached out, and grabbed her hand. “Are you really not going to give us a shot?”

With a sharp smack, Teresa slapped his hand away. “Touch me again and I’ll call the cops—and I’ll tell Jennifer you’re harassing me.”

Sanford fell silent.

They pulled up to Harmony Garden in Nareigh, a swanky restaurant famous for its fancy, old-school cuisine. The place was a splurge—minimum spend was fifteen grand—and it was the perfect spot for birthday or engagement parties. It was one of the oldest restaurants in the city. Teresa had only been here once or twice—definitely not a regular.

There were already a few guys waiting in the restaurant. A man with glasses greeted Sanford with a handshake and a friendly pat on the shoulder. “You finally made it here, bro.”

Sanford introduced Teresa, “This is my college buddy’s little sister, Teresa.”

“Oh, so this is your girlfriend? You mentioned her on the phone—she’s even prettier in person,” the man said.

Sanford didn’t deny it.

Teresa rolled her eyes—she knew better than to trust anything he said. She quickly explained, “I’m not his girlfriend, just a friend. He said he had a business friend and insisted on introducing me to a potential business partner.”

Sanford was caught off guard. He’d never said that, but by pure luck, the man in glasses was indeed in business. The man adjusted his glasses. “Now that I look closer, you do seem familiar. Aren’t you the boss of Teresouth Group?”

That was when Teresa realized this was Chase Shelton, son of the chairman of Chase Group, one of Nareigh’s oldest companies.

Just then, Chase’s phone rang. He quickly said, “Sanford, you two go ahead and sit. I need to head downstairs to pick someone up.”

Sanford narrowed his eyes. “Who’s important enough that you, a general manager, have to greet them in person?”

Chase clicked his tongue. “Come on, you know who it is. Didn’t I tell you? It’s the boss of Horizonlead Group.”