Chapter 150: Chapter 150- Relax
At Dave and Laurent’s son’s baby shower, the first to leave was Leonardo.
He claimed he had another shoot with his crew and slipped away early.
Vivian and Zoey Marylin stayed behind until the party was nearly over, then quietly went to the lounge to chat with Laurent. Frank left on his own too—he knew Vivian would be surrounded by her sisters, and honestly had no clue how long their conversation would last.
That left only Karl at the table. But Karl remained calm, sitting through until the very last guests had departed.
As for Mr. Mos and Linda, Dave had already arranged for the driver to take them home, so Karl stayed behind.
When Dave returned after dropping off the guests, he found Karl lingering outside Laurent’s lounge, pacing slightly.
"Why haven’t you left yet? Something else to do?" Dave asked, puzzled.
Karl didn’t hide his intentions.
"Dave, can you do me a favor and call Marylin for me?"
Since men weren’t allowed inside Laurent’s lounge, Karl hadn’t had a chance to speak to Marylin himself. Luckily, Dave had come back, so he asked him to help.
Dave blinked in surprise.
"Marylin?"
"Yeah," Karl said, his tone serious.
"I really admire her. I want to pursue her, so I need her number."
If at first Karl’s decision to pursue Marylin had been a little impulsive, by now—after the first glance and several hours of the event—he had cooled down.
What he was saying now was calm, rational, and deliberate.
It was a decision he had thought through, a promise he wanted to make for a lifetime.
Dave stared at him for a long moment, stunned. Just as the fresh and innocent Lilian seemed incompatible with a flirt like Morrison, Karl and Marylin’s pairing might not seem obvious to outsiders either.
It felt like the world had flipped upside down: Morrison was chasing Lilian relentlessly, and Karl was suddenly smitten with Marylin.
But compatibility—whether people thought it obvious or not—wasn’t for outsiders to decide. Love was like drinking water: only the person experiencing it truly knew its warmth or chill.
And judging by Karl’s expression and tone, this wasn’t a joke. Dave knew Karl well enough to know that he wasn’t the type to play around like Morrison. He was serious—earnest, even.
So Dave nodded.
"Alright, I’ll go call her for you."
He shook his head with a sigh and added,
"You’ve got guts... and a good eye too."
Marylin was stunning, yes, but also exceptionally talented. That combination of beauty and brains was intimidating to many men. Yet here was Karl, bold and straightforward in his pursuit—Dave couldn’t help but admire him.
Karl, however, didn’t think of himself as particularly brave. He simply felt that when you encounter a woman you like, you can’t let the chance slip by. In his twenty-eight years of life, he had never met a woman who made his heart race like Marylin did, and that was why he cherished the moment so deeply.
Dave entered the lounge, where a few of the women were chatting about Marylin’s breakup and resignation.
Before this, Marylin had never shared her romantic life with any of them. Now, Laurent and the others were hearing about three major events—love, breakup, and resignation—all at once.
Time had passed, and Marylin recounted the events calmly, showing no obvious joy or sorrow, as if she felt nothing at all. But anyone listening could imagine the pain she must have felt when it all actually happened.
They felt a pang of sympathy for her. Vivian even shed a few tears, scolding Marylin at the same time:
"Marylin, you really weren’t fair! How could you keep your relationship from us?"
Marylin just shrugged, unbothered.
"I’ve already said—it’s all in the past. I’m someone who moves on easily."
Zoey, trying to lighten the somewhat somber mood, teased her with rare humor:
"Marylin, and here I was still waiting for our pact that if we weren’t married by our thirties, we’d be together. And you went and secretly fell in love?"
Marylin leaned against Zoey, playing along with a mock pout:
"Sorry, babe. I know I was wrong. The chaotic outside world is no longer for me—I’ll just stick with you from now on."
The women all burst out laughing.
Once the laughter died down, Vivian grabbed Marylin, frowning, and demanded:
"Did you—do that with that scumbag?"
"If he went after you while already having a family, then he’s truly a fighter among scumbags!" Vivian was the kind of person who loved and hated passionately; the mere thought of someone deceiving Marylin made her furious. If he had taken Marylin’s innocence, Vivian would have sworn she’d castrate him on the spot.
Marylin chuckled, trying to calm Vivian down:
"Relax, sis. I’m not that easy to give myself to."
Vivian finally exhaled in relief.
Laurent then asked Marylin:
"So, what are your plans now?"
Marylin idly toyed with her perfectly manicured nails, answering without a care:
"I’ll stay at a.t., find a job here. Since you and Vivian are already here, I don’t mind staying either."
Marylin wasn’t lost about the future. With her skills and capabilities, she could easily find a good job anywhere. Leaving her secure government position in the capital might have been a little regrettable, but who could guarantee that her new corporate career wouldn’t flourish even more?
Laurent and Vivian were both happy that she was staying at a.t. But Zoey, on the other hand, felt a little downhearted:
"All three of you are at a.t., and I’m stuck in a city abroad all alone. It’s not fair."
Vivian reassured her:
"Don’t feel lonely. Aren’t you in the city with Leonardo, our old friend?"
Then Vivian asked her,
"I heard Leonardo bought a house and settled down. You knew about that, right?"
"Uh... yeah..."
Zoey replied a bit awkwardly. Of course, she knew. After all, it was her who had gone to help him check out the place.
Ever since Leonardo took that urban drama two years ago and asked her for advice about the daily life of foreign executives, their connection had grown gradually. There was that time he got sick while filming and she helped get him to the hospital—since then, they had kept in touch.
Still, it was always a light, casual friendship. Sometimes, when he wasn’t busy filming, they’d meet for a meal. Sometimes, when he was particularly exhausted, he’d visit her on weekends, and she would cook a few dishes. It was the normal way old friends interacted.
She enjoyed it and even thought that spending her life like this with him would be enough.
A while ago, he had asked her to help check out some apartments abroad. He wanted to settle down there, and since he didn’t trust anyone else to buy it, he left it to her.
Over the weekend, she practically visited every possible property abroad and finally chose one that was perfect—layout, price, and location were all ideal. Most importantly, the environment was elegant and private, which was perfect for someone in the public eye like him.
And he didn’t even go see it himself—he just transferred the money to her account and let her buy it.
So, of course, she knew that Leonardo had bought a house.
Vivian smiled.
"That’s good. You’re abroad, and Leonardo’s abroad too, so you’re not really alone. You’ve got your old friend from school—you can always ask him for help if you need it."
Vivian mainly wanted to comfort Zoey, trying to bring her a little closer to Leonardo. Back in college, Leonardo had only eyes for Laurent, and Zoey had always been quiet. Now, Leonardo was brilliant and shining, while Zoey remained low-key as ever. No one would have ever thought of them as a couple—it made sense for them to just be friends.
At that moment, Dave walked in. He went straight to Laurent and asked warmly,
"Feeling tired? Has your son been giving you trouble?"
Laurent smiled and pointed at her son, who was sleeping soundly on the bed.
"No, he’s been eating and sleeping well. Very obedient."
Dave finally breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Marylin.
"Someone’s looking for you outside."
"Looking for me?"
Marylin was surprised.
"Besides you guys, I don’t know anyone else here. Who’s looking for me?"