Chapter 442
An Accident at the Blind Date
Ruby Sterling did a quick touch-up and headed to the restaurant Mrs. Sterling had mentioned.
Even though she didn't actually care that much about this blind date, basic courtesy still mattered.
They'd agreed to meet for dinner that evening at a very stylish Western restaurant in Chicago. Ruby parked at the entrance and looked toward the restaurant. The light spilling out from inside was dim, warm, and romantic, and quite a few men and women were dining by the windows.
She looked around but didn't spot any man who seemed like he might be there for a blind date with her.
In the end, she pushed down the thoughts in her heart, opened the door, and walked inside.
When the server saw Ruby, they immediately came up to her politely and asked, "Miss, do you have a reservation? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Ruby suddenly remembered that she'd actually forgotten to ask Mrs. Sterling where exactly they were supposed to meet. She was just about to call and ask when the restaurant door opened.
A man and a woman suddenly walked in.
The moment she saw the two people who had just appeared, Ruby froze on the spot, shock spreading across her face.
It was actually... Chase Monroe!
He was walking in with a woman dressed exquisitely from head to toe, his arm around her waist.
Chase clearly hadn't expected to run into Ruby either. His expression stiffened for a moment and looked a little unnatural.
The woman he'd hooked up with was named Lydia West. The West family didn't have much real foundation and were pure nouveau riche, but they'd managed to gain a foothold in New York through money, and had even linked up with Sterling Group. The two families had some business dealings, and that was when Chase got involved with Lydia West.
Lydia West also knew Chase had a girlfriend, but she was just some woman from an ordinary family, so Lydia had never taken her seriously at all.
Now, seeing Chase staring at the woman in front of him with such an ugly look on his face, her brows quickly knit together.
She asked coldly, "Is this your ex-girlfriend?"
Chase didn't dare deny it, so he nodded and said, "Yes..."
The moment Chase said yes, Lydia looked Ruby over from head to toe.
Ever since Ruby had decided to come home and reclaim her identity as the family's eldest daughter, she had stopped working so hard to hide who she was. And because she was here for a blind date today, she was wearing a dress from the newest collection. Along with the jewelry Claire Bennett had designed for her, she looked even more dazzling than Lydia, a supposed rich girl, by a good margin.
When Lydia saw Ruby's beautiful face, jealousy flashed in her eyes.
How could a pauper have that kind of presence?
Maybe it was just a woman's jealousy, but even though she thought Ruby's family background was beneath hers, Lydia still wanted to target her. Her face turned cold as she snorted, "She's so ugly. No wonder you broke up with her. She probably still hasn't found a boyfriend, right?"
"No." Chase immediately seemed to think of something and assured her, "But don't worry. Even if she still can't get over me, I would never take her back. I only like you."
To please Lydia, Chase continued sparing no effort in soothing her. "It was only because I met a girl as wonderful as you, Lydia, that I split up with that kind of woman. Don't take her seriously, Lydia. She can't compare to you at all."
Seeing Chase fawning over her like this, Lydia showed a victorious expression, the corners of her mouth lifting.
Then she shot Ruby a contemptuous look. "You're right."
Afraid Ruby might cling to him, Chase quickly urged in a low voice, "Let's go eat somewhere else. Don't stay here."
Lydia said, "Fine. I'd hate to lose my appetite seeing certain people."
After saying that, the two of them opened the door and turned to leave.
Ruby: "..."
What the hell was that!
Ruby had already stopped feeling anything for Chase, but seeing him and Lydia just now had still stung her.
She had obviously been the Sterling family's daughter all along, and she'd only hidden it so Chase wouldn't feel inferior.
Who knew everything she'd done would turn out to be nothing but a joke!
She had liked Chase for four years. For his sake, she had lived frugally in every way, from food to daily necessities, never spending extravagantly. Chase had even said before that he felt sorry for her, and that he would definitely work hard in the future so she could live a happy life.
And yet, how long had it been since he entered Sterling Group before he hooked up with another woman and dumped her!
The hardship she'd endured over those four years now felt like one enormous joke!
Just as Ruby was drowning in hurt feelings, a tall figure walked in from outside. He stopped in front of her and said in a low voice, "Sorry, something came up at the company. How long have you been here?"
Ruby's eyes were still a little red. She looked up, and to her surprise, saw someone she had never expected.
After a long moment, she finally cried out in surprise, "Why is it you!"
Cameron Quinn curled his lips into a smile, looking a little helpless as he said, "My family was pushing hard."
So the person Mrs. Sterling had arranged for Ruby to meet on this blind date was Cameron Quinn!
Ruby had never had any particular thoughts about Julian Sterling's friend. She had always treated Cameron like an older brother. It wasn't that she thought Cameron wasn't good enough, but that she thought Cameron was too good.