"Yes. Only this way YS group can make new breakthroughs in the advertising industry." Belinda raised her head to look at him. Partnering with YD Group was just the preliminary stage. Whether or not they got thepany''s outdoor advertising n depended a lot on their abilities. "Okay. But take care of your own self. Don''t stress yourself out about this too much." Duke''s eyebrows furrowed. He didn''t know much about YD Group. He was a bit worried about Belinda putting in so much effort into this. But it wasn''t possible to try and persuade her to quit now. She knew that if apany wanted to survive in thepetitive market, sticking to the rules didn''t do the trick. Only innovations and new elements could help one remain invincible.


    "You will help me, right?" Belinda asked Duke hopefully.


    "No, I won''t. I have a lot of things to do myself. I won''t have time to help you." Duke nced at her indifferently. Her hopeful expression hadn''t moved him.


    "Huh. You''re selfish." Belinda pursed her lips. She had known that Duke would say no to her request. But she hadn''t expected his blunt reply. She felt a bit hurt.


    "Is there anything else that needs to be done? If not, we should go." Duke nced at her and saw the clear disappointment in her eyes. He couldn''t let himself help her too much, she''d be dependent on him. For her own good, she should learn to handle things by herself. He''d still be by her side every step of the way.


    "Just a second." Belinda packed up her things, including the documents she had to take home with her. Although she was bothered by Duke''s coldness, she didn''t say anything. She couldn''t force him to do something he didn''t want to do. She was indeed stubborn and a little childish, but she wasn''t the kind of person who would willfully force someone to help her.


    Dusk inte autumn was always exquisite. Yellow leaves danced in the breeze, unting their beauty onest time before descending onto the groundzily. The elegant couple walked slowly. Their alluring looks against the charming scenery made every passerby feel envy.


    "We will take my car. Leave yours in the parking lot," Duke said as he pulled open the car door. It was more of an order than a suggestion. He had always been the dominating one in their rtionship.


    "I guess that''s okay. I can use a driver right now. I don''t want to drive anyway." Belinda dly got inside his car. It would be a waste if they drove two different cars at the same time anyway. So she epted the suggestion without any hesitation.


    Duke''s jaw ticked. He was at a loss for words. Was he a mere driver in her eyes? His mouth set in a grim line. He swiftly went over to the driver''s seat and settled behind the steering wheel.


    "Buckle up." Duke nced at her, his expression dark.


    "Duke, you''re really vtile. Your mood swings are out of control." Belinda looked at him as she obediently fastened her seat belt.


    "That''s true. You know that, so you shouldn''t try to rile me up." Duke said dangerously with a smirk. He started the car and drove out of the parking lot of YS group.


    "Well, as long as others don''t provoke me first, I don''t usually bother them without a valid reason. Don''t worry, I''m too tame to trouble you." Belinda scrutinized him, realizing that he looked more handsome in his side profile. "That''s good." He honked the car''s horn several times. It was rush hour after work and they were stuck in the traffic jam.


    "Should we ask Leena toe too? She must be bored. She''s not used to being alone at home," Belinda changed the subject abruptly, remembering Leena. Even though it was aggravating how Leena always defied her, Belinda couldn''t help but worry about her. In her eyes, Leena was just a little girl, no matter how many times she tried to prove otherwise.


    "No, let her be. The marriage is her own choice. Now she has to adapt herself to that way of life. She''s on her own." Duke said coldly. He was not the same person anymore who used to spoil his little sister recklessly.


    "Are you serious? It''s been a long time since that happened. You can''t still be mad about that?" Belinda couldn''t help but snort. No wonder Leena was afraid to see her big brother these days! It was quite petty of Duke to still hold a grudge against Leena for her decision. "Who says that I''m mad about it? Why should I even care?" Luke would never admit that he was indeed still angry that Leena secretly got married without even informing him. But he wasn''t in the habit of showing his emotions, so he pretended he didn''t give a damn at all. "I don''t know what you''re thinking. But it seems like you''re still angry about it." Belinda watched him closely, trying to find something in his expression that would give away his true feelings.


    "That''s just your imagination talking." He turned the steering wheel and smoothly pulled over in front of a small, quaint restaurant.


    "Is this the vegetarian restaurant?" Belinda asked abruptly, ncing at theyout.


    "Why? You don''t like it?" Duke raised one eyebrow and got out of the car without waiting for an answer. He walked over to Belinda''s side and opened her door.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "No, I just didn''t expect you to like this kind of a ce." Belinda herself used toe to the restaurant asionally. Lately, however, she was too busy and couldn''t afford the time to do so. She hadn''t tried the delicious food here in a long time. "Come on. Let''s go inside." He casually slipped his hand into hers and pulled her toward the restaurant. Belinda blushed at the intimate gesture.


    The Fragrance was a charming little restaurant. Although it was not as luxurious as other fancier restaurants, the food here was delectable. Once someone had savored the vegetarian dishes here, they were bound toe back again for another taste. "Mr. Leng, we reserved the usual table for you. This way please." Apparently Duke came here often. The waitress even knew his name.


    "Sure! Is your boss present here right now?" Duke asked, pausing to face the waitress.


    "The boss was here this morning. But she went home after lunch," The waitress stood by and answered courteously.


    "Okay, I see. You must be busy. No need to wait on us." Duke led Belinda by her hand toward an enclosed private cabin in the corner. He seemed to know his way around the restaurant. The decoration of the cabin was prettier than the intricate designs outside. "You know who runs this ce?" Belinda asked, the surprise obvious in her words. As far as she knew, this restaurant had been running for years.


    "I do. In fact, not only do I know her, you are also familiar with her," Duke said with a small smile. Opening a restaurant was just one of her whims initially. He hadn''t expected the idea to actuallye to fruition and ultimately result in one of the most popr restaurants in the city today. After she went abroad to pursue her studies, he had been in charge of this restaurant. He had to admit she put a lot of effort into building it. She had designed all the interiors herself. The reason for opening this restaurant was quite simple. This way, she could order all the dishes she wanted to eat, she said.


    "I know the owner too? Seriously? Who is she? Howe I have no idea about this?" Belinda was even more curious now. She turned around, perusing the borate designs and decorations and tried to find a clue about the owner of the restaurant.


    "Didn''t you ask me before if we should invite her to have dinner with us?" Upon hearing Belinda''s suggestion, Duke had decided toe here and see if they could meet Leena by any chance. He hadn''t expected her to go home early. "You mean Leena?! I''ve been here several times before, how did I not know this is her restaurant? You''re kidding, right?" Belinda was astonished. She wouldn''t have ever thought that Leena owned a restaurant. Leena was just a young girl.


    "That must have been a long time ago. You didn''t know each other back then. Even if you saw her here, you couldn''t have possibly recognized her. The Fragrance is indeed hers. She''s the owner, but it''s basically run by Edward and me. In truth, she''s a little free rider." Duke''s eyes were affectionate as he talked about Leena. It was such a departure from his usual self.


    "I wonder how she got the notion of opening a vegetarian restaurant? I mean, it''s a great idea, but it''s unusual." Belinda was impressed by Leena''s business acumen. Vegetarian restaurants were rare, especially in today''s times when everyone was overindulgent and chased luxury. It was because there weren''t many vegetarian options in the city that Leena''s restaurant was so sought after. There wasn''t an empty seat during dinners. Belinda had often left dishearteningly after failing to secure a vacant spot.0000