Oops! My Secret Baby Is Caught By His Top-Lawyer Daddy! Novel

---- Chapter 65: Go Big Star! You Got This! Ariella waited in the entrance lounge like a hunter staking out her prey. After what felt like forever-about half an hour-she finally spotted Aaron and Clara walking out, fingers intertwined, laughing and chatting like nothing else in the world mattered. Because the restaurant sat along the riverbank, the wind at the door was brisk and chilly. Aaron, ever the gentleman, opened Clara's wool coat and helped her slip into it. Then, with practiced care, he tucked her hair out from the collar and gently smoothed it behind her ears.

His eyes glowed with affection, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The general manager was all smiles and bowed respectfully as he pulled open the glass doors to see them out. Ariella watched the entire scene unfold like ---- someone being slapped in slow motion. Her fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her skin, but she didn't even notice. That quiet, withdrawn boy she once dated-had he ever shown her even half that tenderness? If he'd ever looked at her that way, if he'd ever been this gentle... maybe they wouldn't have ended up strangers.

She'd heard bits and pieces about Aaron over the years. Heard he was still single. Heard he never brought a date to any event. For a while, she'd foolishly believed she still held a place in his heart. But now... now she wasn't so sure. As the couple disappeared past the restaurant doors, Ariella snapped out of her daze. She wasn't giving up that easily. She rushed after them. "Aaron! You just finished eating too?" Aaron stopped at the sound of her voice. His expression cooled instantly. He turned to glance at her but said nothing. Still smiling, Ariella walked up. "Thanks for the ---- wine.

When you've got time, we should catch up!" Aaron shot a chilly glance at the general manager, but didn't deny it. Technically, the wine had come from him. The GM had offered itin his name, after all. Matt had already opened the car door. Aaron helped Clara into the back seat, then circled around to the other side. Just before getting in, he said coldly, "We'll see." No warmth. No interest. Nothing. And with that, the car pulled away. Back at the entrance, the general manager stood in the cold winter wind... sweating. Welp. That wine had been a mistake.

Instead of scoring points, he'd just managed to get on Aaron's bad side. He rushed back inside, mentally preparing his apology to boss Tristan. Maybe there was still time to fix this. ---- Outside, Ariella was left standing alone in the wind, unmoving for a long, long time. The end of the year was the busiest, flashiest time in showbiz. Award shows, New Year countdowns, corporate events-it was a circus. Scarlett was slammed. Fresh off her Best Actress win, her agency was squeezing every penny out of her fame. If they could, they'd book her 25 hours a day.

Ads, red carpets, gala appearances-you name it, she was booked for it. Before she knew it, it had been more than twenty days since she'd last spoken to Derek. After their last visit home, he'd tried to video call her a dozen times. She hadn't answered once. After that, silence. Sometimes, breakups between adults were just like that. No fights. No grand finales. No tearful goodbyes. Just quiet... distance. They lived in different worlds now. Their paths didn't even cross. ---- Was she sad? A little. But she still worked, still ate, still smiled for the cameras. Was she unaffected? Not really.

When things got quiet-like right now-her heart ached. A dull throb in the background. She stared at the chaotic blur of city lights flickering past the car window, her heart tugged by the bitterness of missing him. Still, she had her pride. If he'd truly cared, he wouldn't have let go so easily. She got home from an ad shoot around 11 p.m. Her assistant followed her to the door. "Scarlett, what do you want for breakfast tomorrow? I'll bring it by." She tapped her passcode into the lock. "Whatever's fine." "Tll sort your gowns for tomorrow.

Want a late-night snack?" Scarlett pushed open the door. "I'm a celebrity, remember? Gotta manage the figure. No midnight snacks. Just come early tomorrow.