Chapter 7

Iris's POV

"Hey! Iris!"

Just as I was consumed with anxiety, my mother's voice suddenly came from behind me.

Turning around, I saw Mom standing in the morning sunlight, smiling gently at me.

She still looked like the dazzling star who once stood under the spotlight, receiving the adoration of thousands, only now with an added touch of tender grace.

Unable to control myself, my nose tingled with emotion as I ran over and hugged her. "Mom, are you alright? I didn't see you earlier and I was so worried."

Ms. Eleanor stroked my hair, laughing softly as she replied, "I'm fine, don't worry. I woke up this morning and saw the lovely sunshine, so I went out for a walk."

Confirming that Mom showed no signs of distress and that her complexion looked better than before, my anxious heart finally settled down.

Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have insisted on competing with that woman who took my father away—perhaps moving here to keep Mom company would have been the right choice.

Ms. Eleanor took the fruit from my hands and led me into the house together.

Mom's house was quite spacious and exquisitely decorated, but because she lived here alone, it felt rather empty.

However, Mom's mental state seemed good now, and I thought she had probably emerged from the shadow of her failed marriage.

"Ms. Eleanor, I have good news to share with you. I'm going to start my own company, and Dad has agreed to support me with five million dollars."

I eagerly shared this good news with her.

Mom was very happy to hear it. "Iris, you've grown up. I'm so happy for you."

Then, with some puzzlement, she asked, "How did Richard become willing to support you financially? You know, when we divorced, I got nothing except this house."

I had to tell her the truth—that I had obtained his support by agreeing to marry Damian as an exchange condition.

"Iris, you've been wronged. You shouldn't have had to do this. It's Mom's fault for not protecting you better."

"No, Mom, just having you by my side is already a blessing." I told her with firm conviction, "I will take back everything that belongs to you and me!"

Mom smiled and stroked my head, her tone gentle. "Your safety and happiness are Mom's greatest wishes. If you can do what you love, Mom will try her best to support you."

Mom was once a hugely popular star and had her own unique insights and suggestions about my entrepreneurial venture.

I spent the entire day at Mom's place, consulting her for advice and experience.

That same afternoon, my account received the startup capital Dad had transferred to me. It seemed he really wanted me to marry Damian.

I first spent one hundred thousand dollars to purchase a Porsche Taycan 4S for convenient transportation.

Over the following days, I was busy with a series of tasks: registering the company, leasing office space, and recruiting staff.

On the afternoon when all the preparatory work was completed, I stood in my office space—not large, but compactly designed and decorated according to my own aesthetic.

"Darling, shall we go camping and play ball together tomorrow?" I made a video call to Amelia.

On the other end of the call, Amelia looked like a corpse drained of energy by a witch, staring blankly at her computer while typing on the keyboard. "Sure, I've been squeezed dry this week. I need fresh air."

Saturday brought beautiful weather.

Amelia and I arranged to meet at the Temple Club, a 1.5-hour drive from the city.

The place had beautiful surroundings, including private forests, natural lakes, professional tennis courts, equestrian facilities, and an organic farm—perfect for relaxation.

Additionally, the camping area's tents were configured to five-star hotel standards, both comfortable and safe.

Amelia was truly a good friend. We could talk about anything, and even after long periods without seeing each other, there was no sense of distance between us.

I arrived at the Temple Club ahead of schedule, completed the check-in procedures, then changed into a white tennis dress with a light blue sun protection jacket over it, and tied my usually loose shoulder-length hair into a high ponytail.

"Hey! Iris, you look beautiful today!"

Amelia drove up in her MINI Cooper, dressed in a dark green athletic outfit and wearing a white sun visor.

She radiated sunshine, completely different from her state yesterday afternoon.

"You too!"

After an enthusiastic embrace, I suggested showing her around the main clubhouse and surrounding areas first.

The main clubhouse was a converted century-old stone manor, featuring a Michelin-starred restaurant and a whiskey tasting room.

"The environment here is really nice. I heard this place operates on a membership system," Amelia asked casually.

"Yes, my mom is an early member of the club with lifetime membership, and she got me an affiliated card," I briefly explained.

After familiarizing ourselves with the main clubhouse, we went to the tennis courts behind it, where racket rentals and professional coaching services were available.

But since we were purely playing for fun, we just rented a pair of rackets and started playing.

Amelia and I played for an hour. Her backhand remained reassuringly terrible, while I won three games just on my serve alone.

"I'm done," she tossed her racket toward the rest area and collapsed into a canvas chair. "I need a glass of champagne to soothe my wounded soul."

"You lost two games, so you probably need two glasses," I teased with a laugh, casually picking up a bottle of beverage and taking a couple of gulps.

Just as I was about to sit down, my gaze inadvertently swept across the court opposite us, and my movement abruptly froze.

New guests had arrived at the adjacent court at some point.

A tall man in a white polo shirt was warming up, his slightly wavy golden-blond hair particularly striking in the sunlight.

His swing was clean and precise, each strike demonstrating exact control, and the calf muscles beneath his white shorts showed defined lines as he moved.

The moment he turned to grab a towel, another familiar profile was revealed.

No way.

I could run into him here too?

No wonder he was in such a hurry to make money—his daily expenses must be this high!

"What are you looking at?" Amelia followed my line of sight, then suddenly grabbed my arm. "Wait—that man—"

"Shh—" I quickly signaled her to lower her voice so we wouldn't be discovered.

Then I asked curiously, "Do you know him?"

Amelia's voice trembled with suppressed excitement as she shook my arm. "Of course! Probably everyone in Manhattan knows him! He's that guy from Ashford Group! The man who makes every girl in the state scream!"

I looked at that figure in the distance. Honestly speaking, his looks and physique were indeed impressive, but he didn't even have a proper career—surely he wouldn't attract all the girls, would he?

He seemed to sense something, suddenly stopping his movements and looking in our direction.