Chapter 88 - Chance Encounter

Angeline and Bryan were both surprised when they met each other's eyes. Bryan laughed when he heard Angeline's explanation that room 2006 belonged to her and not to him. "Well, how could that happen? It feels extraordinary. This must be a dream, but why do I have to dream like this?" Bryan rambled on. Angeline, who had been confused at first, realized that Bryan had consumed too much alcohol and that his mind was in a state of confusion. She decided to remain silent and listen to Bryan's ramblings. "Angeline... Angeline... At least I'm glad to see you, even if it's only in a dream." Bryan wanted to touch Angeline. He started to move his hand to her cheek. Angeline was silent, a little nervous and unsure of what to do or say. But before she could react, Bryan had passed out and fallen asleep due to his heavy drinking. Angeline tried to shake Bryan gently, hoping he would regain consciousness. Bryan ended up sleeping on the couch in Angeline's room, and Angeline could only stare at him as he slept. She had a strong desire to touch Bryan again because of her lingering feelings for the man who had once occupied her heart. But her common sense prevented her from doing so. She couldn't allow herself to fall back into the same feelings for Bryan, no matter how much she wanted to. The next morning, Bryan woke up with a throbbing headache. He complained that he wanted water, but there was no one to give it to him. He tried to open his eyes and read a small note he found on the table. "I'm telling you in case you don't remember. I brought you to my room after you fainted in the hallway. Please leave my room before I come back this morning. It's better if we don't meet again. - Angeline" "Angeline?" Bryan was startled when he read Angeline's name and finally realized that last night had not been a dream. He was a little disappointed because it seemed that Angeline didn't want to see him again. Angeline started her day feeling anxious about her unexpected encounter with Bryan the night before. She decided to go for a run to clear her mind, but for some reason, her encounter with Bryan kept replaying in her mind. She remembered how Bryan had expressed his gratitude for seeing her, even if it was only in a dream. "Even in a dream, I don't want to meet you, Bryan," Angeline thought to herself as she continued her morning run. Bryan left Angeline's room in disbelief. He read the note with Angeline's message several times. "Well, Angeline is no longer an ordinary girl. Now she's really an extraordinary woman," Bryan muttered to himself. Just then, Alex arrived at the scene. From a distance, Alex saw a man leaving Angeline's room, and he recognized him as Bryan. He was quite surprised to see Bryan at the hotel. Unbeknownst to Bryan, Alex was still at the end of the hall. "Why is he here? Does he know about Angeline?" Alex muttered to himself before deciding to leave the area. Then he called Angeline. "Hello, where are you?" Alex asked. "I'm out in the garden doing my morning run. Have you had breakfast?" Angeline replied. "Not yet. Let's have breakfast together," Alex suggested before ending the call. After finishing her workout, Angeline joined Alex for breakfast. Alex noticed that Angeline's demeanor was different and it puzzled him. "Angeline, you must be anxious about this exhibition," Alex remarked. "Alex, I ran into Bryan last night. At first I thought I was mistaken, but when I saw him clearly I knew it was Bryan. I-" Angeline started, but was interrupted when Alex immediately took her hand. "Is the person you met last night so important to you that you have to tell me about it?" Alex asked. Angeline smiled and shook her head, indicating that her encounter with Bryan wasn't important. Alex smiled in response. "Well, then there's no problem. So why worry?" Alex reassured her. "All right, finish your breakfast," Angeline said. After escorting Angeline back to her room, Alex happened to run into Bryan in the lobby and asked to speak with him privately. "Angeline has become an extraordinary person, and I know you played a major role in her success," Bryan began the conversation. "Well, I was always there to comfort Angeline when she was hurt by you. Comforted her many times and brought her to this point," Alex replied sarcastically. "Which means you're very good at comforting Angeline," Bryan remarked. "I hope you won't appear in front of Angeline again, to avoid any misunderstandings. Angeline is very uncomfortable seeing you here," Alex warned. "Alex, don't be too hard on me. Thank you for standing by Angeline's side and taking good care of her," Bryan said, getting ready to leave. "I don't take care of Angeline. I'm just by her side because she's very precious to me," Alex replied coldly. Surprisingly, Bryan didn't get angry. "I'm calm to hear you say that," Bryan replied before walking away. Alex looked at Bryan in surprise. Bryan's behavior was different this time. Instead of showing his usual displeasure, Bryan had been willing to bow down and express his gratitude. Back at Grandma's residence, she was engrossed in reading online news about Ellie. "Is it true that Ellie is Angeline? I miss Angeline so much," Grandma murmured, happy to see Angeline's success. Angeline was her beloved granddaughter-in-law. Bryan didn't go home; he went to Grandma's house because his own house felt too empty. "Grandma, I'm back," Bryan said when he got home, but Grandma bombarded him with questions. "Where have you been? Did you do something without telling me?" she inquired. "Does Grandma always think I'm going to get into a scandal every time I go on a business trip? This was just a normal business trip," Bryan replied. Grandma refrained from pressing further. She wanted to ask Bryan if he knew Angeline was in New York. But she decided against it. "Well, you should rest now. If you're hungry, come downstairs and I'll have the maid fix you something to eat," Grandma said. "Okay," Bryan agreed. "Ah, why bother telling Bryan about Angeline? It will only hurt Bryan's feelings," Grandma muttered to herself. She had noticed that every time Angeline posted something, Alex was by her side, which made her think that maybe Angeline had moved on from Bryan to Alex. Grandma knew she shouldn't be angry, but her heart still longed for Angeline to be with Bryan again. "If it's not meant to be, how long will Bryan be alone like this?" Grandma continued, frustrated, before retreating to her room.