Chapter 10
Lisette rolled her eyes and corrected him, "That's just a joke, okay?"
Tobias had no idea what to make of it. Honestly, he felt like his brain circuits got tangled. Less than four hours and they'd already had three rounds of, well, let's say "close encounters." They had a marriage license, a friendship vibe, and now she was calling him... Daddy?
Frowning, he silently reevaluated this whole confusing setup they called a relationship.
Lisette gave him a look that screamed, 'are you serious right now? Seriously, Tobias? Did your sense of humor get eaten by a black hole?'
Holding back a mental groan, she quickly shifted the topic, "That's not the point! I'm asking - did I make the right move or not?"
"No problem at all," Tobias answered, his tone strangely complicated. He backed up her decision without hesitation, then added, "Did you have plans for any of these stocks? Like when you're thinking of selling?"
"This one," Lisette leaned over, pointing at a specific stock on the screen. "The other three feel more like long-haul picks, but this one... I get the vibe it might spike soon. Can't predict the peak price, but I'm thinking once it doubles, I'm cashing out."
She was so close now, half of her body practically leaning into him.
Tobias's gaze drifted to the curve of her neck without him realizing. It had turned back to its usual fair tone.
Lisette had such smooth, pale skin. He remembered seeing the staff prep milk baths for her before - definitely raised with serious pampering. Still, he had to admit - when her skin was slightly flushed, she looked even more stunning. Just vivid and full of life.
"Mr. Hastings?" Her soft voice snapped him back.
It was the first time he ever got distracted during a work chat. Embarrassed, Tobias cleared his head, turned back to the fluctuating stock numbers, and immediately switched back to his ultra-focused mode that Lisette had gotten used to.
"Sell at four times."
"Four?!" Lisette nearly choked. Her sparkling eyes locked on his. The way he looked at her - steady, serious - had her completely convinced.
His light-colored eyes were like clear gemstones, impossible not to stare at.
They stared at each other, and in that quiet moment, Tobias saw his reflection in her dark pupils. Those big eyes were glowing with excitement - excitement about him. There was admiration, happiness, trust - all shining just for him.
Tobias felt something soft and warm melt the icy wall in his chest. He scanned through the company analysis again and added, "You won't have to wait long, just keep an eye on it in the next two weeks."
"Got it!" Lisette beamed, practically glowing. "So you're saying, in just under a month, my net worth could quadruple?"
She had zero doubt in his judgment. The way she looked at him was practically sparkling with admiration. "You are 100% my money genius!"
Tobias sighed. "Just call me by my name."
"Okay, okay! You're the boss - I mean, investor daddy of stocks!" she joked without missing a beat. "Toby, thank you very much! And to show my appreciation, I'm treating you to Harvest Fields again tomorrow!"
Tobias processed her strange nickname like he was trying to figure out if it was edible. "Toby?"
"Fun, right?" Lisette grinned proudly.
That bright, bubbly smile of hers really was something else. It injected a burst of color into his usually grayscale life.
His lips opened, ready to comment, but instead of shooting her down, what came out was, "Yeah."
It sounded like an automatic response at first, so he shifted a little and went for something more sincere.
"You've got a sharp mind. You read through my risk assessment once and picked up things most people can't even grasp after years. I honestly believe you'll take the investment world by storm one day."
Hearing him say that, Lisette nearly floated away on cloud nine.
Luckily, she still remembered to stay grounded. Before she got too full of herself, she turned the praise right back on him. "Only because you've been an awesome mentor. If it were someone else guiding me, this potential might've gone totally to waste - or worse, down the wrong path!"
Tobias nodded seriously, backing her up. "Agreed."
Lisette let out a snort, grinning. "Tobias, has anyone ever told you you're full of yourself?"
"Yeah."
"Who?"
"You."
Tobias glanced at the time. "Get some rest. We're visiting your family tomorrow morning."
"Roger that~"
"Good night."
"Nighty night~~"
Lisette showed up with a smile and left the same way.
That little awkward moment in between? Already buried somewhere in her brain's junk drawer.
Flopping onto the bed, she immediately messaged her bestie, Scarlett, to share the good news.
Scarlett didn't even ask - just transferred two hundred million to her. "OK boss lady, I see you! Keep climbing—I'll just chill and let you pay for our vacations."
"Pfft!" Lisette couldn't help but laugh.
After the giggles, she asked, "Scar, when are you coming back to Veridia?"
"Next month."
Lisette sighed.
Yeah, end of the year plus fashion week always kept Scarlett insanely busy - runway after runway, sometimes barely catching four hours of sleep a night.
"Ugh, a whole 'nother month? Scar, one day without you feels like forever. Food doesn't taste right, my brain's fried, can't even sleep properly..."
"Oh? That so?"
"Say it like you mean it - ditch the question mark!" Lisette declared dramatically - only to get smacked down instantly.
"Clyde told me someone showed up at Harvest Fields dragging a hot guy along, stuffed her face so hard she had to be carried out afterward."
Lisette huffed. "He's lying. I walked out - on my own two feet - proudly!"
Scarlett chuckled, "Didn't you just say you were too heartbroken to eat?"
"...You totally baited me," Lisette muttered.
Trying to salvage some pride, she added solemnly, "I still need to eat a little. Gotta fuel up, make bank, spoil you heaps, and take you jet-setting around the world."
Scarlett: "Mm-hmm. That's my girl."
Since Scarlett had another show coming up, the call ended quickly.
Lisette then split the investment between her and Scarlett's accounts, logged it all neatly, and hugged her blanket to sleep.
Next morning.
After breakfast, Tobias and Lisette packed up the mountain of gifts Elliot had prepared and headed to the Cavendish estate.
Unexpectedly, the first to greet them at the door wasn't who they expected - it was Maverick.
Clad in black from head to toe, he looked like a predator lurking in the dark, waiting for the right moment to pounce.
The instant Lisette laid eyes on him, her body tensed up. It was like a wave of heavy, suffocating negativity crashed into her, making her limbs feel like lead.
"You okay?" Tobias slipped his fingers over hers, sensing the shift in her mood.
"I'm fine." She gave a small shake of her head and turned her gaze back toward Maverick.
Apparently, the reality show he'd been filming just wrapped today. From the looks of him rushing back like this, losing five billion must've hit him hard.
Clearly, he wasn't sitting still anymore.
Second win of the war - Lisette was in a surprisingly good mood.
In a blink, her expression shifted-eyes cool, smile sweet but sharp. "What happened? Three days away and you already downgraded your face? Heard you're eyeing that Best Actor award? Cute. But let's be real—cringe doesn't count as range. Here's a thought: skip the delusions, book a few brand gigs, flash a smile at some fan meets. If you move fast, your face might still be worth something."
Maverick hadn't even said a word yet, and he was already being verbally demolished. The thread holding his temper together snapped with a silent pop. He glowered, brows furrowed.
The little sister who used to follow him around obediently had turned into a venom-tongued diva practically overnight. It felt unnatural. He half-suspected someone had swapped her out. His eyes, fierce and probing, locked on her - and suddenly, he made a move.
But before his hand could get close, Tobias's hand closed around his wrist in a steel grip.
His gaze sharp enough to cut, Tobias didn't even need to speak - Maverick's fury was instantly doused with a bucket of icy water.
And just then, from behind, Marshall Cavendish's voice rang out.
"What 's going on here?"
