Chapter 101

Calvert? Sanderson was surprised to encounter the name again. It was a name as common as dirt.

He didn’t ponder on it too much. After all, anyone Hackett had his eye on couldn’t possibly beworking in a small store like Midnight Scent, despite Calvert looking to be in his mid–twenties,which fitted the bill.

When Everard called out, Calvert got the message that Everard meant they had customers, and itwas time to shoo them away.

Midnight Scent hadn’t sold a thing in a while and for good reasons. First off, the location was asremote as a ghost town, and secondly, Calvert was the one sending potential customers packing.After all, that cash register might as well have been a spaceship control panel for all they could useit.

Calvert stuffed a donut into his mouth, stood up, and mumbled through a mouthful. “Sorry folks,we’re closed for a bite.”

After uttering these words, he held the door for Sanderson to leave before he could get back to hismeal.

The bacon and egg bites were especially tasty today, and he feared that if he returned late, Everardand Cordelia wouldn’t save him a single one.

Hearing Calvert’s words, Sanderson was dumbstruck.

“Who runs a business like this? Closed for a meal? No wonder he was just lounging around atMidnight Scent with no ambition whatsoever.” Sanderson thought so.

The Delaney name had come this far thanks to Sanderson’s own grit, and he had little patience forslackers. So, his first impression of Calvert wasn’t great.

But this must be Lia’s boyfriend, right? He didn’t like the guy, but he figured he ought to give him achance.

Well, at least Calvert had a smile on his face and seemed friendly enough, unlike the brooding manin black sitting with a “king of the world” posture, exuding an aura of trouble. Compared to him,Calvert seemed friendly.

And at least he had the decency to stand up and greet a guest, already earning more points thanMr. Broody.

Reassuring himself, Sanderson found Calvert a tad more agreeable and coughed, “I’m not here tobuy anything.”

Calvert paused, about to speak, when Cordelia slowly turned around and froze upon seeingSanderson, “Dad?”

she called out.

At that single word, Everard tensed up. He turned around, only to see a refined middle–aged manstanding there, smiling kindly at Calvert.

Everard raised an eyebrow.

Cordelia had already stood up and approached, “What brings you here?”

Sanderson withdrew his gaze from Calvert and chuckled, “You left your book in the car.”

Cordelia blinked, “Okay.”

She took the book and looked back at Sanderson, who smiled and asked, “Aren’t you going tointroduce us?”

Realizing what he meant, Cordelia introduced Calvert first, This is Little Fang After she finished, Everard quickly stepped to her side and reached out to Sanderson, “Nice to meetyou, sir. [m Everard.”

Sanderson gave him a curt nod, then turned to Calvert, “Keep up the good work.”

Calvert was bewildered.

Once Sanderson finished speaking, he turned back to Everard, and upon getting a better look athim, he was slightly surprised. Everard was handsome, a shame he seemed so cold and distant.

Lia had just introduced Calvert with a sweet nickname, Little Fang, so Calvert had to be herboyfriend. Sanderson frowned slightly. He wasn’t from a wealthy family, so pedigree didn’t mattermuch to him. As long as Calvert was ambitious, that was fine. If Lia had set her heart on Calvert,then Sanderson decided to give Calvert a leg up to save Lia from future hardship.

With that in mind, Sanderson turned to Calvert, ‘Let’s connect on social media.”

Feeling a chill down his neck, Calvert quickly nudged Everard, “I don’t use social media, but youcan add my boss instead.”

He thought, “It was scary. Why was Everard’s father–in–law always smiling at me?”

8 ± 1 2 3 Everard spared Calvert a cool glance before offering his own social media, “Sir, shall I scan yourcode, or will you scan mine?”

Sanderson pursed his lips, “I’ll scan yours.”

After exchanging details, Sanderson said, “Lia, I’ll be heading off now”

Cordelia nodded.

After Sanderson left, the trio sat back down at the table. Everard teased Cordelia, “Seems like yourdad isn’t too fond of me?”

Cordelia looked calm, “Seems so.”

Everard felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart.

And to twist the knife, Cordelia added after a thought, “My dad’s a fair man, rarely takes a dislike toanyone.”

Another stab.

She continued, “He was quite friendly with Little Fang, must be a matter of chemistry.”

The third stab.

For the first time, Everard felt his appetite wane as he turned to Calvert.

Calvert, wishing he could vanish, regretted his inherently likable demeanor. If he had a choice, he’dnever have wanted to be the apple of any elder’s eye.

After Cordelia finished her breakfast, she didn’t leave Midnight Scent right away. Instead, she pulledout a present from her bag, a big gift box, and handed it to Calvert, “This is for you.”

Feeling like a dead man, Calvert was speechless. He took the box, feeling Everard’s icy starewithout needing to look.

He thought, “Lia, what have you done to me?”

Everard, filled with jealousy, demanded, “What about my gift?”

Cordelia paused, “Oh shoot, I totally spaced on you.”

There was an awkward silence.

A wave of disappointment crashed over Everard, a sinking feeling that left him cold to his core as ifhe’d been dropped into an ice bath.

Two months they’d been dating, and not only had she snagged a scholarship, but she’d evenpicked up Calvert and somehow forgotten him.

gifts for She was like a millennia–old glacier, impossibly cold to the touch.

As he stewed in these thoughts, he caught a glimpse of a sly smile playing on her lips. “Gotcha,”she said.

suddenly.

With a flourish, she pulled another gift box from her backpack, “This is for you.”

Everard was stunned, his deep–set eyes locked on Cordelia.

Holding the gift box, he felt warm, all the chill dissipating in an instant.

What delighted him more than the gift was the fact that she’d played a joke on him. Was she finallywarming up to him?

His lips curled into a radiant smile, bright enough to light up the gloomy ambiance of the MidnightScent they frequented.

After Cordelia left, Everard didn’t waste any time and opened the gift box to reveal a sleek blackfountain pen. He twirled it in his hands and said with a chuckle, “This pen is top–notch.”

Meanwhile, Calvert was quietly tidying up the table, a bundle of nerves.

He watched Everard inspect his gift and hesitantly opened his own, silently praying, ‘Please don’tbe better than the boss‘. Please don’t be better…‘

Inside was an exquisite phone case from a high–end designer, likely costing a pretty penny,certainly more than the fountain pen.

He was doomed. There was no way this was going to end well.