CEO’s Seduction Trap

Mason lowered his head to wipe the stains on the table, not denying it. “Yeah.”

There was no feud between Mason and Hunter, so his actions were clearly deliberate.

“Thank you,” Leila said.

Mason looked up. “So, you invited me for noodles?”

Leila met his gaze, a hint of sincerity in her smile. “Not exactly.”

Mason’s mood eased slightly. “Then what for?”

“Regardless of what your intentions are, I just wanted to say thank you,” Leila replied honestly.

Mason tossed the tissue aside and asked with a smile, “What do you think my intentions are?”

Both of them were adults, and at this point, the meaning was obvious.

Leila knew it but remained silent.

Mason chuckled. “Are you afraid to say it, or do you just not want to face it?”

As Mason pressed her with his question, Leila’s hand, which had been resting on the table, tightened suddenly. “Mr. Ramirez, as you should know, I have a boyfriend. He’s Shirley’s cousin and he loves me very much. I love him too, and I don’t want to do anything to betray him.”

Mason leaned back, exuding a lazy, sexy vibe. “You love your boyfriend so much, yet you slept with me?”

Leila hesitated. Loving her boyfriend deeply on one hand, yet turning around and sleeping with another man. It didn’t seem like something a decent woman would do.

Just as Leila was struggling with how to respond, the noodle shop owner approached with two bowls of noodles.

Glancing at Mason, the owner asked Leila, “Your boyfriend?”

Leila replied, “No, he’s my boss.” Although they weren’t from the same company, they had some interaction in their work, so technically, he was her boss, right? It wasn’t a lie.

The owner didn’t seem to believe it. Who would accompany a subordinate to a small noodle shop? Especially when this noodle shop was right outside the subordinate’s residential area…

Back in the neighborhood, Mason stood at the door and lit a cigarette, taking a few puffs. He looked down at Leila and said, “Hunter won’t bother you anymore. Just focus on your work. The past is the past; let it go.”

Leila couldn’t shake the feeling that Mason was trying to comfort her.

She nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Ramirez.”

Mason got into his car, while Leila headed upstairs. As soon as Leila entered her apartment, she received a message from Shirley. It contained three screenshots of chat records.

They were chat records from Hunter’s family group chat, probably leaked by his cousin.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

The first screenshot showed relatives condemning Hunter for bringing shame upon the family and embarrassing them in front of their community.

The second screenshot depicted some relatives demanding Hunter to repay money, threatening to report him to the police if he didn’t do so within a week.

The third screenshot featured a message from Mrs. Brooks, rebuking those relatives for their ingratitude.

After reviewing the screenshots, Shirley sent another message: [It’s almost Friday. Are you planning to bring my cousin back tomorrow night, or Saturday?]

Leila pondered for a moment. Bringing him back on Saturday morning would be better.

Leila: [Can we make it Saturday morning at 8?]

Shirley: [No problem.]

Leila: [Please thank your cousin for me.]

Shirley replied with a simple “OK.”

With some rare free time on her hands, Leila lounged on the sofa and watch a comedy. She hadn’t actually had any project proposals to work on today; that was just an excuse she had given Mason. She didn’t want to spend too much alone time with him.

Thinking of Mason, Leila suddenly remembered the drunken incident from the other night. She had indeed been a bit tipsy at first, but afterward, she had sobered up…

On Saturday morning, Leila received a call from Shirley’s cousin, Samuel. They agreed to meet at the entrance of Leila’s neighborhood. Samuel, being the gentleman he was, offered to pick her up in his car.

Leila felt a bit embarrassed to let him drive, so she suggested, “Let’s take my car. Just tell me your address, and I’ll come pick you up.”

“A boyfriend should act like a boyfriend, even if it’s fake. Gotta play the part convincingly,” Samuel joked.

Leila couldn’t refuse anymore and thanked him with a smile.

After ending the call with Samuel, Leila was about to change clothes when she received a message from Daniel: [Miss Patel, good morning.]

Leila was taken aback for a moment before replying, [Mr. Daniel, good morning.]

Daniel: [Miss Patel, any plans for the weekend?]

Leila: [Did something happen?]

Daniel’s messages seemed a bit odd to Leila. She didn’t think they were close enough to inquire about each other’s weekend plans.

After sending her reply, Leila received an instant response from Daniel: [Nothing special, just curious.]

Leila: [Going home with my boyfriend to visit my mom.]

Leila waited for about a minute, confirming that Daniel probably wouldn’t reply anymore, before heading to the bedroom to change clothes.

Samuel has a gentle and trustworthy appearance, giving off a sense of reliability. When they met, Samuel extended his hand for a handshake, saying, “Hello, I’m Samuel.”

Leila smiled and shook his hand, replying, “I’m Leila.”

Samuel took the luggage from Leila’s hand and opened the passenger door for her. As they headed to Yort City, they exchanged basic information. For example, Samuel was the Sales Department Manager at The Ramirez Group, and they also shared details about their family and educational backgrounds.

An hour later, they arrived in Yort City, having exchanged quite a bit of information about each other along the way. As they passed by a supermarket, Leila suggested stopping to buy something, but Samuel informed her that the gifts were already prepared.

Leila didn’t like owing favors, especially if it involved someone spending money.

Samuel chuckled and explained, “Didn’t Shirley tell you? I go on blind dates every weekend. The first step in a blind date is to give the other person a gift. My mom prepared a bunch for me. She’s more worried that I won’t give them away than anything else.”

Although Samuel said this, Leila still felt uncomfortable accepting his gifts. Sensing her hesitation, Samuel joked, “How about this? If you feel guilty about accepting my gifts, next time my parents insist on me bringing a girlfriend home, you can pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“Okay, then I’ll prepare the gifts for that occasion.”

“Deal.”

Their conversation continued pleasantly. Leila asked, “You’re so outstanding, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to find a girlfriend. Why do you keep going on blind dates?”

Samuel smiled and replied, “Guess.”

“Are you gay?” Leila asked jokingly.

Samuel turned his head in mock surprise. “Do I look like a gay man?”

As they chatted, they arrived at Mrs. Patel’s neighborhood. Samuel had prepared quite a few gifts and even helped Leila carry her luggage.

Leila wanted to carry her luggage herself, but Samuel took a step back and said, “No need. Let me leave a good impression on your mom. If we ever ‘break up’ in the future, I want her to think it was your fault, not mine.”

Through their conversation, Leila realized that despite Samuel’s more mature appearance, he was actually quite similar to Shirley in character.

As they reached the apartment, Leila took out her keys to open the door, and Mrs. Patel appeared from the kitchen, wearing an apron.

Upon seeing Mrs. Patel, Samuel took the initiative to greet her, saying, “Hello, Auntie. I’m Samuel Garcia.”

Samuel was friendly and likable, and it didn’t take long for him to become acquainted with Mrs. Patel. Eventually, he even went into the kitchen to help her.

Seeing this, Leila took out her phone and sent a message to Shirley: [Your cousin’s amazing, he’s winning my mom over in no time.]

Shirley replied: [How about turning this fake relationship into a real one?]

Leila: [Not a chance.]

…

The harmonious atmosphere lasted until noon. Just as the three were about to eat, someone knocked on the door. When Leila opened it and saw who was outside, she was momentarily stunned.

Daniel stood at the door, his expression a mix of awkwardness and something else. He gave Leila an awkward smile and said, “Miss Patel, do you have a moment? Mr. Ramirez needs to discuss some business with you.”

Being approached by a client for business matters at her home, and from another city at that, was a first for Leila in all her years in the industry. She furrowed her brow slightly. “Now?”