Caiden Ward didn’t say anything, just narrowed his eyes at her.
Catching Rosy Harris in his peripheral vision, holding the jewelry box, he turned his head and glanced over impatiently. "Something?"
"President Ward, this necklace—" Rosy stepped up to him, smiling lightly. "Sorry, I can’t accept a reward without having done anything to deserve it."
Caiden Ward looked at her and slowly curled his lips. "What’s your name?"
"Rosy Harris. Rosy with an R, Harris like a promise kept."
"Rosy Harris." Caiden rolled the name at the corner of his lips with some interest, then turned his head to look at Maeve, suddenly asking, "Do you like this long-haired big sister?"
Maeve stared at him with wide eyes, lips pressed together, saying nothing.
Caiden added, "If you don’t go back, Uncle Ward will..."
Before he finished, Maeve suddenly said, "Mm, if you don’t like that sister, then marry this sister and make her your wife."
Caiden: "..."
Maeve tilted her head up to look at Louis Cox. "Uncle, let’s go home. I really miss Odin Myres."
Louis Cox smiled. "We’re leaving right now."
When he finished speaking, he turned to Caiden Ward again. "We’ll head back first and come visit another day."
"Goodbye, President Ward." Madison Leaf also waved at him.
Caiden Ward said nothing more, standing where he was, watching the three of them walk away.
"This uncle is so handsome, even more handsome than Uncle."
"I just had a lollipop and cake."
"I’ll tell only you a secret—Doctor Uncle told Father Myres I have ADHD."
"..."
A string of childish lines from his memory suddenly surged up. Watching that fading swatch of pale goose-yellow, Caiden Ward suddenly remembered that the little girl’s ADHD had long since been cured.
Her last name was Myres. She originally had nothing to do with him; leaving was only natural.
Yet he suddenly felt hollow.
"President Ward?" Beside him, seeing his dazed expression, Rosy Harris tentatively called out.
"What did you say your name was?" Caiden Ward pulled his thoughts back, looked at her, and asked again.
"Rosy Harris. Rosy with an R, Harris like a promise kept."
"Rosy Harris." Caiden Ward nodded, looked at her and smiled. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Rosy froze for a moment, then shook her head.
"Would I be fortunate enough to become your boyfriend?" Standing under the blinding lights outside the venue, Caiden Ward’s eyes were smiling. With that one line, he asked with both courtesy and politeness.
The question was so out of the blue that for a moment Rosy really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Caiden Ward bent down to look at her, his voice gentle. "Hmm?"
"I..." Rosy instinctively backed up a step. "President Ward, this is too sudden, and we’ve only just met. I need to think about it properly. Please give me some time."
Out of the corner of his eye, Caiden caught someone stepping out of the venue. He suddenly pulled her into his arms and lowered his head, going in for a kiss.
"Kari!" Madam Ward called out sharply, stopping him, displeased.
Caiden Ward released Rosy, turned to look at her, then at Rosalie Tanny beside her, and said mildly, "Mom."
"Clinging to a girl outside the venue like this—what do you think you’re doing?" Madam Ward shot him an annoyed look, came closer, and lowered her voice. "At a time like this, and you’re still fooling around!"
"I’m not fooling around." Caiden Ward raised a hand and tugged Rosy’s arm over, his lips quirking. "This... Miss Harris is my current girlfriend. I can go public with the media anytime. As for my love life, you won’t need to worry about it anymore."