His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

I hesitated for a moment, but the challenge in his tone made me grin. "Sure, why not?"

We positioned ourselves at the edge of the pool, and as soon as Carlos gave the word, we took off. I wasn't a bad swimmer myself, but it quickly became clear that Carlos had the advantage. His movements were swift and effortless, while I struggled to keep up. By the time we reached the other side, I was panting, and Carlos barely seemed winded.

"You win," I said, laughing as I caught my breath. "I'll admit it, you're a better swimmer."

Carlos chuckled, pulling himself out of the water. "Don't feel bad. I've had a lot of practice."

We swam a few more laps, the playful competition easing the stress of the day. Eventually, though, we both grew tired and decided to call it a night.

"Let's grab a drink at the bar," Carlos suggested as we dried off.

I hesitated. "I'm not the best drinker, to be honest."

Carlos raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "I know. That's why I'm warning you not to overdo it."Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

I felt a mix of embarrassment and defiance rise up. "I'm not that bad," I muttered, though I knew it wasn't entirely true.

He gave me a knowing look but said nothing more. We headed to the hotel bar, where I nursed a single drink, determined to keep my head clear for the exhibition tomorrow.

09:36 O Chapter 71

The next day, I woke up feeling more energized than I had in a while. The exhibition was buzzing with excitement as investors swarmed the event, and to my surprise, I seemed to be at the center of it all. As I presented my company's products, the crowd's interest grew. One by one, investors approached me, offering letters of cooperation, their enthusiasm catching me off guard.

It felt surreal. After the stress of the past few days, the flood of attention and potential deals was overwhelming. I barely had time to process it all as I collected business cards and made notes of potential follow-ups. It seemed like all the hard work was paying off. As soon as I had a moment to myself, I called Blair. "You won't believe what just happened," I said, trying to keep my excitement in check.

"Tell me everything," Blair replied eagerly.

"I've been getting letters of cooperation all day," I said. "Investors are coming out of nowhere, and I can hardly keep up."

Blair laughed, and I could practically hear his grin through the phone. "That's fantastic! I'll head over and help you sort through it all. We need to make sure we don't miss any opportunities."

By the time Blair arrived, I had a pile of letters in hand, and together, we worked through the details, strategizing for follow-up meetings. It was exhausting, but thrilling.

As the exhibition wound down, Carlos came to pick me up. I could see the familiar car waiting outside, and as I walked toward it, Carlos rolled down the window..

"Ready to head back to the hotel?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not yet. I need to pick up Blair and meet with the new partners."

Carlos raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. He simply nodded and waited for me to gather Blair and the paperwork we needed.

09:36 C

The meeting with the new partners went well, and by the time we finished dinner, I was a little tipsy. Blair helped me back to the hotel, but as we entered the lobby, I noticed Carlos sitting in a quiet corner, reading a book.

I said goodbye to Blair and walked over to Carlos. "How's your evening?" I asked, still feeling the buzz of the drinks.

He looked up at me, his expression thoughtful. "Things went well for you today, I take it?"

I nodded eagerly. "Better than expected."

Carlos paused, his tone shifting slightly. "Not going as smoothly on my end."

His words surprised me. I had always assumed Carlos could handle anything with ease, but this felt different-like he was letting me in on a vulnerability I hadn't seen before.

"Do you need help?" I asked, curious about what could have him sounding so serious.

He gave me a small smile, and for the first time, I realized that he was asking for my help. "If you're offering, I won't say no."

I nodded, understanding the weight of the moment. "Of course. I'll help you."

C

The next morning, I woke up to find a beautiful dress jewelry delivered to my room, along with a note from Carlos. He was inviting me to a salon party.

These clothes fit my body perfectly. I looked at them suspiciously and began to wonder if Carlos had been planning to make me his date from the start. 09:36