Tyler stood up and politely shook her hand.

“Ms. Charlton, it’s been a while. Have a seat.”

Anne Charlton sat down gracefully, a clear giveaway to Rachel that she was a well-bred woman. The aura she exuded belonged to that of a well-to-do family in upper-class society.

Anne spoke to Tyler with such familiarity, they didn’t seem like strangers one bit. Instead, they looked more like old friends reuniting.

“You look exactly the same, even after so many years. That suit looks great on you.”

“You’re too kind,” Tyler said with a friendly smile that mellowed out his usual cold demeanor.

Anne’s gaze instinctively shifted to Rachel. “I know Yale, but this is…”

Before Tyler had the chance to speak up, Rachel took the initiative to introduce herself.

“Ms. Charlton, I’m an employee from Mr. Hunt’s company. I’m Rachel Lloyd.”

The stiffness in Anne’s smile softened at Rachel’s introduction as Tyler’s employee. She held Rachel’s hand warmly.

“You’re so beautiful, Ms. Lloyd. You have such a unique aura about you.”

Rachel smiled coyly. “You’re too kind, Ms. Charlton. Oh, this is a gift Mr. Hunt got you a few days ago.”

She handed the box of perfume to Anne, who looked back at Tyler in surprise.

“You even got me a gift?”

“I heard you really like the perfume here and guessed that you wouldn’t have time to shop, given your packed schedule. It wasn’t much trouble,” Tyler said almost flatly.

Anne took the box with a bright smile and eagerly opened it to try the perfume on immediately. Her smile deepened.

“It’s the scent I like. Tyler, you’ve put so much heart into this.”

Tyler said nothing in response and instead looked at a passing waiter. “Please bring us the menu.”

The waiter did as told. Tyler handed it to Anne.

“See what you like to eat.”

Anne grabbed the menu and turned to look at Rachel. “Ms. Lloyd, what do you like to eat?”

“Ms. Charlton, please don’t worry about that and just see what you like,” Rachel said courteously with a wave of her hand. “By the way, this is also from Mr. Hunt.”

She glanced at the bouquet of roses on the table, clearly hinting at it to Anne.

“Oh, Tyler! You bought me flowers, and they’re my favorite roses! You really went the extra mile for me!” Anne exclaimed, blown away by Tyler’s gesture.

“It’s no trouble at all, as long as you like them. Go ahead and place your order. Feel free to pick the dishes you like, don’t worry about us.”

Anne held the menu, the smile on her face bright as ever. “I’ll go ahead to order what I like, then.”

She ordered her favorite dishes and handed the menu to Tyler, who added a few more dishes before passing the menu back to the waiter.

“Tyler, aren’t you going to ask Ms. Lloyd about her preferences?” Anne said, slightly taken aback.

“No need. She eats like a pig and isn’t picky with her food,” Tyler said indifferently.

The moment he said that, Rachel stomped on his custom-made leather shoes. Tyler winced, his brows furrowing.

“What’s wrong, Tyler?” Anne asked with concern.

“Nothing. A rat bit me on my foot last night, and it still hurts,” Tyler said almost expressionlessly.

Anne was surprised by his response. “What was going on? Why was there a rat around in the first place? Were you at home?”

“I went out to run some errands at night. It was dark where I was, and I accidentally got bitten by a rat.”

Tyler subconsciously glanced at Rachel as he said so.

Rachel wanted to tell Tyler not to make things so obvious. Women were keen creatures, and Anne was bound to find something suspicious if he continued being like this. Rachel didn’t even dare to look Tyler in the eyes.

“Are you alright? Did you get it checked at the hospital?” Anne asked, slightly shocked.

“I did. It’s fine.”

Tyler was looking for an opportunity to change the subject when the waiter came with their food.

“Pardon me. Please be careful.”