"Just came back and already insulting your boss? Aren't you afraid of being sent to the far reaches again?" Sebastian Vanderbilt mildly protests, but can't help the smile forming at the corners of his mouth.
"Boss? Get your facts straight; we're just business partners," Jessica emphasizes. "And calling you a pervert was just an instinctive reaction because I was so happy."
With that, she laughs, having hit her own funny bone.
"Being too happy is your reason?" Sebastian asks disdainfully, feeling somewhat dismissed.
"Why focus on such trivial matters on such a happy day?" Jessica casually deflects.
Sebastian chuckles. "So, what do you want to eat tonight?"
"Eat? What do you mean?" Jessica sounds puzzled.
"Huh?" Sebastian is surprised. "You called me right after you got off the plane. Isn't that a hint for me to come pick you up?"
"Are you joking? It takes two hours to get from Times Avenue to JFK Airport. I could go home and get back twice in that time," Jessica responds. "And by the time I get off the plane, it'll be very late. Why would I make unnecessary trouble?"
"Then you didn't just call to scold me, did you?" Sebastian raises an eyebrow, feeling a bit frustrated.
"No, I was just really happy," Jessica says, complaining loudly, "Why do I need a reason to call you?"
"Huh, good point. No special reason yet calling a 'business partner'. " Sebastian can't help but laugh. This is typical Jessica behavior. It would seem crazy if anyone else did it, but it makes sense when she does.
Before he can say anything more, Jessica hurriedly says, "Gotta go, the flight's delayed. Bye."
Sebastian thinks to himself, Well, this is reasonable too.
"JFK Airport?" He ponders, looking at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes flickering with contemplation.
Three hours later, at JFK Airport.
"Hello?" Jessica lazily picks up her phone.
"You're back early. Not as planned," the voice from the phone says.
Jessica raises an eyebrow. "Friendly reminder, the contract's premise was that the team would progress positively. But look at us now."
"I haven't slacked off for a moment."
"Stop deceiving yourself, Charlotte Winston," Jessica says sternly. "You know very well that once the news of fan conflicts hit the papers, there's no reversing it."
"I think there's still a chance," Charlotte replies slowly. "As long as the public sees our excellence, all rumors will vanish."
"You're too naive. If hard work was all it took, everyone would be successful," Jessica says.
"But your return doesn't solve anything," Charlotte begins, but is interrupted.
"I'm here to solve the problem," Jessica says decisively, wearing sunglasses.
"What can you solve?"
"If reconciliation is impossible, then we'll make a big uproar," Jessica sneers.
"That's too extreme and won't help the team," Charlotte argues.
"Getting smeared with filth helps the team?" Jessica retorts. "Don't talk to me about trust. I gave you enough time, but you couldn't resolve anything."
"You still don't trust enough—" Charlotte tries.
"Because I can't!" Jessica interrupts. "You didn't like my scandal with Sebastian, so I stayed in Japan for a month. You said you were working hard, but what about now?"
"Hasn't everything that could happen already happened?" Jessica recalls Penny's forced smile in a video yesterday, feeling more agitated. She soon calms herself down.
After a long silence, Charlotte responds, "If that's really how you feel, Jessica, I understand."
But before she can finish, a familiar voice on the other end makes her shudder.
In the airport corridor, a figure leans against the railing, his light gray shirt unbuttoned at the collar, exuding a healthy, robust charm.
Jessica stares at the familiar face for two full seconds before letting out a scream of joy. "Hey, why are you here?"
"Why am I here? I drove, of course," Sebastian answers seriously, but then laughs.
"Wow, you bought a car in the month I was gone?" Jessica bounces over, tossing her luggage into Sebastian's hands. "Quick, where's the car?"
"Right over there," Sebastian points to a nearby light gray Beetle and smiles.
Jessica falls silent for a moment. "Isn't that Patrick's car?" she asks, hesitating.
"Yep, the ten-thousand-dollar, eighth-handed car," Sebastian laughs. "I was in a rush and had to borrow it."
Jessica's lips twitch. She turns and runs, yelling, "I'm not riding in that! It's embarrassing."
"Dinner's at the Shilla Hotel, at a special restaurant," Sebastian says, still smiling.
Jessica freezes, then turns back, looking embarrassed. "And the wine is shipped from Paris, right?" she mutters. "And today's chef is a five-star chef from Switzerland?"
She returns, blushing, noticing Sebastian's teasing gaze. "What are you looking at? Open the door!"
"What, not embarrassed anymore?" Sebastian teases.
"Better embarrassed than hungry," Jessica grumbles, still eyeing the car disdainfully. "Who would invite someone to a five-star hotel in an eighth-hand car?"
"Me, obviously," Sebastian says, struggling to keep a straight face.
At S Entertainment, in the recording studio, Charlotte still holds the phone to her ear, even though the line has been dead for a while. After a long pause, she looks at her reflection in the mirror, her hair dry and messy, eyes bloodshot, and face haggard. Lost in thought, her gaze turns utterly blank.
Meanwhile, at Sebastian's office, Victoria is informed, "Sorry, the president had an urgent matter. The contract signing will be rescheduled. Please wait patiently for further notice."