---- Chapter 117 Tara swiped away the chat page with the company when Lance's deep voice sounded from behind her. "Who are you chatting with?" "No one," Tara quickly replied. "I was just looking at the news." Lance wrapped his arms around her from behind the couch. "I've got something going on tomorrow, so I won't be back tonight. But I'll go on the trip with you the day after." Tara looked surprised.

This was the first time since they started living together that he wouldn't come home at night. "Okay." She didn't ask where he was going or what he would do. Lance kissed the back of her neck and voluntarily told her about his plans for tomorrow. "T have an event in the morning. And it also happens to be Grandpa's birthday tomorrow, so I'm going to his place in the evening to spend the night with them." Oh, so that was the reason.

Since she was Lance's girlfriend , Tara wondered whether she should get a gift ---- for his grandfather, Anton Swain. If their relationship hadn't been exposed, she wouldn't have bothered . But since photos of them together were online and trending, surely his family had seen them too. Tara pulled his arms away and looked at him as if she wanted to say something but thought better of it. Shawn softened when he saw her behaving like that and couldn't help but kiss her on the lips.

"What's the matter?" he asked. Tara decided to just come out with it. "Since it's your grandfather's birthday tomorrow, should I get him a gift? After all, photos of us together were taken." Shawn kissed her again. "Sure. Grandpa likes drinking coffee. I'll pick the kind he likes as a gift." Tara wondered if this was truly appropriate, but she couldn't think of a better gift. She wanted to pay for it herself , though she didn't have much money.

After all, when it came to gift-giving, sincerity mattered the most. "Alright then. But just so we're clear -I'm paying for it myself." Lance said nothing. He simply looked at her. Ignoring his silence, Tara insisted on paying. He had already given her many expensive things, like their ---- current home, which was worth about 30 million dollars.

On top of that, he kept giving her jewelry recently , and her huge walk-in closet was already filled with the branded clothes and bags he bought for her. This all made Tara feel like she was dreaming. Lance chuckled and said, "Fine, as you wish." Only then did Tara sigh with relief. She then hugged his right arm and rested her face against his neck. How could Lance resist her warmth and softness? He immediately carried her into the bedroom and kissed her deeply.

The next morning, Lance kissed her and said, "I'll be back tomorrow morning." Tara nodded. Then, she hugged and nuzzled his neck. She couldn't bear for him to leave. Lance had to summon all his self-control to finally let go of the soft, sweet-smelling woman in his arms. "Wait for me to come back," he said. Tara nodded and watched him leave the bedroom. Soon after, she heard the front door close softly. She quickly got up to brush her teeth and wash her face.

After that, she changed into another set of blouse and skirt she had ---- bought earlier. Since she was in a rush, she only put on light makeup - even her lipstick was a very pale shade of red. But it was precisely this subtle, almost invisible look that suited her best. Tara grabbed a mid-brand handbag she had previously bought and quickly left the room. After putting on her high heels, she took the elevator downstairs. The building was still quiet and empty.

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She had been living here for over half a month and hadn't encountered asingle neighbor. She had seen people enter and exit other buildings when. she went to the park, but nobody had come in or out of this building except her and Lance. Though she found it strange, she didn't ask Lance about it. In the underground parking lot, she got into the car and casually asked the driver, "Leslie , why are there so few people living in our building?" She found it unusually empty.

Leslie Rocha replied matter -of-factly , "Mr. Swain has bought the whole building. He likes quiet and doesn't want strangers coming in and out of his home." Tara was shocked. Lance actually bought the whole building? ---- "The whole building?" She was so shocked her voice went up an octave. The news had left her completely dazed. Leslie nodded. Then, as if recalling something amusing, he said in a hushed tone, "You probably don't know this, but Mr.

Swain had people work through the night to section off a 1,600-square-foot apartment just for you. He shook his head with a smile. A rare thing like this was truly special. Tara was stunned. "Section off a 1,600-square-foot apartment for me?" The phrase felt unfamiliar. Leslie shot her an odd look. "Didn't Mr. Swain say you wanted a small place?" When he overheard Lance on the phone giving orders, he couldn't help but wonder who the foolish woman was.

After all, who would turn down a 10,000-square-foot apartment and insist on a smaller one instead? Tara nodded dumbly. "How big are those apartments of his?" "Each floor is over 10,000 square feet," Leslie replied. He didn't really know the exact number. The image of the 44th-floor button in the elevator flashed through Tara's mind. "Shocked" didn't even ---- begin to describe what she was feeling.

All she could think was, "Rich people are on a whole other level." Even after the car stopped across the street from the company she had applied to, she got out, still dazed from everything she had just learned. She figured Lance hadn't told her because he didn't want to make her feel distant or inferior to him. To be honest, Tara found it hard not to feel inferior.

She knew he was rich and powerful, but when that reality was laid out so clearly in front of her, she couldn't control the smallness and self-doubt rising inside her. She took a deep breath to pull herself together . She was about to walk into an interview , so she had to be in her best form. Inwardly, she cheered herself on before entering the company. To her surprise, the interview went very smoothly.

They even asked her to start right away so that she could get a feel for the work environment and job scope. Tara hadn't expected the people there to be so friendly. She remained somewhat cautious. After all, her previous life's experience told her to always keep a guard up when. first meeting others, no matter how nice they seemed. There was nothing she could do. Human nature was complicated, and it was better to be safe than sorry. ---- She worked all day and felt overall good about it.

Throughout the day, she quietly observed her colleagues while they were working -their body language and expressions were relaxed. Tara was about to clock out and leave at 5:30 pm when the department manager, Mark Hodge, gathered everyone and announced a welcome dinner for the new hire. Tara had been put in the spotlight , so she really had no way to refuse-unless she didn't want to keep the job. As things stood, she was quite satisfied with the salary and benefits, so she agreed to go. Besides, Lance wasn't coming home that night anyway.