Chapter 69

At the restaurant reception, Christopher gave the booth number, and the waiter led him to his table. As he walked, he casually glanced to the side and saw a woman sitting at a booth, her face hidden behind a menu.

For a brief moment, he thought he had seen Melody. He continued walking, but his gaze remained fixed on her. Just as he was about to catch a glimpse of her profile, a large pillar obstructed his view. When he looked again, he could only see the back of her head. The woman had short hair. It wasn’t Melody; she had long hair. Besides, Melody was still in the hospital.

Christopher withdrew his gaze, expressionless, feeling his eyes were playing tricks on him. He had been brooding all morning because Melody had blocked him, hindering his ability to sign documents. He felt neurotic, thinking everyone resembled her.

At the booth near the door, noticing Christopher's possible departure, Melody slowly lowered her menu, her heart still racing. She wasn't sure why she was avoiding him; they were divorced and had no further ties. But she was still hiding the truth from Heidi and Anthony. She considered this marriage a part of her "dark history" and didn't want anyone to know, so she concealed it as much as possible. She wasn't afraid of Christopher; she feared shame.

"Melody, are you alright? You look a bit off," Anthony asked with concern.

"I'm fine. I just didn't eat breakfast, so I might have low blood sugar," Melody said with a smile.

Heidi instinctively chimed in, "But didn't you—"

Before she could finish, Melody pinched her thigh under the table. "Don't give me away. Just pretend I didn't eat. Otherwise, I'd look like I'm overeating, wouldn't I?" Melody turned and smiled, caressing the pinched spot. "What's the problem? Are you worried about your image in front of Anthony?" Heidi raised an eyebrow.

Melody smiled but didn't respond. It was better for Heidi to tease her than to expose her unusual behavior.

Anthony chuckled. "Being able to eat is a blessing. Besides, you're too thin. Eat more. Lunch is on me."

Melody gave a faint smile but didn't answer. She was thinking about finishing her meal quickly and leaving, hoping she wouldn't run into Christopher.

At the opposite booth, three rows away:

"Christopher, were you busy this morning? Are you tired?" Cynthia asked, sipping her wine.

"Not really, I wasn't too busy," Christopher replied, taking a small sip, his mind elsewhere.

"If you're not busy, why are you still spacing out? Could it be that you're worried? I'm concerned about you," she teased with a smile.

He snapped back to reality, focusing on Cynthia. The dizziness he felt upon entering the restaurant lingered, and his mind was filled with thoughts of Melody.

"Have you been to the hospital in the past couple of days?" he asked.

Her smile faltered, but she quickly masked it. Why was he asking about the hospital? He had to be asking about whether she'd visited Melody.

"Not yet. I've been busy with runway rehearsals. I got back late last night, couldn't wake up this morning, and have to work this afternoon," Cynthia replied.

Christopher pursed his lips and fell silent. He had wanted to gather information about Melody through Cynthia to avoid visiting her.

"Wrong, Christopher?" Cynthia asked pointedly.

"Nothing. I just wanted to know if you had your check-up," he said, downing the remaining wine in his glass.

She smiled but didn't call him out. Why was he so preoccupied with her check-up and drinking alone? Her fingers clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palm. She felt a growing sense of crisis and knew it was time to act.