Chapter 12 Holding Hands

Sierra's expression changed slightly, her heart inexplicably speeding up. She averted her gaze from the man's burning stare, her eyes flickering uneasily. Her hand burned beneath his touch, the heat almost scalding him. Could Theo actually like her? "My father has always been fond of you. He specifically asked me to take good care of you." The man spoke calmly. The "father" he mentioned was Grandpa Edward. Upon hearing this, Sierra's ears turned slightly red. Remembering her wild thoughts just now, she wished she could crawl into a hole out of embarrassment. She must have let her anger at Benson cloud her judgment to think of something so absurd. So that was the reason. It was because of Edward. Edward and her grandfather had been close friends for years. Sierra had even stayed at the Gray residence for one month, where Edward had treated her with extraordinary kindness. She let out a small breath of relief and said, "Thank you, Uncle Theo." Theo took in her expression, a shadow briefly passing through his gaze. He released her hand and said in a low voice, "Let's go. I'll take you home." "There's no need. I can get back on my own." Sierra quickly refused. "I'm your elder. What are you afraid of?" Theo suddenly leaned closer, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at her intently. A nervous tremor passed through Sierra, but she quickly reminded herself that she was probably overthinking things. Since he was addressing himself as her elder, there was nothing to be nervous about. "In that case, I'll have to trouble you then, Uncle Theo." She forced a calm tone, pulled open the door, and hurried out. She texted her colleagues, letting them know she was leaving early and that the bill was settled. She told them to enjoy themselves. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm, making her gasp in surprise. Theo's calm, cool voice sounded from next to her. "Watch where you're going." Sierra froze, realizing she nearly walked straight into a pillar. Her cheeks flushed as she stammered, "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention." "Do you enjoy apologizing that much?" Theo glanced down at her and asked flatly. Sierra felt deeply awkward. She had no idea why she always ended up looking clumsy in front of Theo. "Come on. I'll hold your hand so you won't trip and hurt yourself again." He took her hand firmly, giving her no chance to refuse. Sierra had no choice but to follow his pace. His profile was impeccably handsome, exuding a cold elegance and a noble aloofness that made him seem unapproachable. At that moment, the warmth radiating from him surprised her. Theo wasn't as intimidating as she had thought. "Mr. Gray, isn't that Sierra? Who's that man holding her hand?" Benson was about to drive Sophie home when her comment made him pause. He immediately looked up and saw Sierra walking out of the restaurant, hand in hand with a man. His brows furrowed deeply, and he strode after them. Sophie quickly followed behind him. However, Benson was a step too late. By the time he reached the entrance, Sierra had already disappeared. The dim lighting and distance only allowed Benson to catch a brief glimpse of the man's silhouette. He couldn't see his face clearly. Even that fleeting glimpse was enough to cloud his face with fury. "It's no wonder Sierra was so determined to break up with you, Mr. Gray. Do you think she's fallen for someone else?" Sophie added fuel to the fire, her eyes glinting with poorly concealed delight. "Impossible." Benson's denial was loud, but unease churned in his chest. When Sierra first asked to break up, he hadn't been concerned. When she refused to back down, he had brushed it off as her being dramatic. He had never considered that she could fall for another man. Sophie carefully observed Benson's expression and said softly, "But they were holding hands. That level of intimacy doesn't seem like something between ordinary acquaintances."