# Chapter 29
Without hesitation, Ella threw everything she could find at Adrian, dragging Manon away with her. "Damn it!" Adrian felt dizzy from the hits, and by the time he regained his senses, Manon had vanished. Frustrated, he kicked a nearby tree hard.
Left with no other options, Adrian returned home looking disheveled. He immediately spotted his sister on the sofa, casually eating fruit. Noticing his appearance, she understood right away and a hint of disdain crossed her face. After all this time, he still hadn't won over Manon. If only he had known sooner.
"Brother, still no luck?" Though she thought this, she didn't show it. She hoped he would win Manon over soon so she could pursue Louis.
Shaking his head, Adrian pounded the sofa with his fist. "Damn it, how do I deal with that Manon?"
He looked fierce, completely lacking the tenderness he had before. Sofy, frightened by his demeanor, shrank back and quickly comforted him. "Don't be discouraged, brother. I know women like her. She's from the countryside and hasn't experienced much. If you give her something special, she'll definitely follow you."
Adrian turned to his sister, hiding his fierce gaze. "Sofy, you really are my secret weapon."
"Who else would I help but my brother?" Sofy smiled innocently.
Ella took Manon to a coffee shop and ordered their favorite drinks. She also asked the waiter for a first aid kit before sitting next to Manon. "What's going on? Was that man just now Adrian?"
She had just arrived and saw the news about Megan, the daughter of the Anderson family. She was shocked to see her sister's name mentioned.
Manon sighed, looking tired. "Yes, that's Adrian, my ex-fiancé."
"Your ex is still bothering you? What a scumbag!" Ella slammed the table in anger, relieved that the café wasn't crowded and they didn't attract much attention.
Manon opened her mouth to respond when the waiter arrived with the first aid kit. Without hesitation, Ella began to treat her wound.
Manon briefly explained recent events. After hearing everything, Ella looked stunned, staring blankly at Manon. It was clear she was struggling to process all the information.
"So, you're saying the guy you were supposed to marry is Louis? The famous Master of the Malcolm family?" Ella asked.
"Yes."
"And you're having a wedding soon?"
"Yes."
"And Adrian is still harassing you, taking advantage of the fact that you haven't gone public, while your stepmother and stepsister keep framing you?"
"Yes."
After several rapid-fire questions and affirmative answers, Ella fell back against the sofa, closing her eyes to digest the overwhelming information.
Manon calmly looked at her. "I have to get back to work now. I'll send you an invitation in a few days."
With that, Manon stood up and called the waiter to pay the bill. Ella remained on the sofa, still in shock and unable to react. The deep blue curtain of dusk gradually covered the sky. Manon walked downstairs with nothing in her hands, preferring not to bring work home.
In the car, she saw Louis holding a document. Manon didn't look or ask anything, sitting quietly with her eyes closed until she felt a slight weight on her leg, prompting her to open her eyes.
What she saw was a document. Rubbing her blurry eyes, she examined it closely. It was the same document Louis had just held. She looked up at him, puzzled. "This is a wedding gift from my grandfather to you, as an investment in your first project," Louis said, resting his left hand on the car window, his index finger pressing against his temple.
Looking at the document on her leg, Manon's eyes flickered. She picked it up and flipped through it, her expression growing more agitated as she read.
Just as Louis thought she might agree, Manon closed the document and placed it between them. "Please thank my grandfather for his kindness, but I prefer to seek investment from others for my project," she said after a moment of silence. "I believe in my abilities. I can secure this investment on my own."
Hearing her words, Louis's expression turned serious, which was rare. He half-closed his eyes and smirked slightly. "I understand your thoughts, but there's no need to return something my grandfather gave. He'll be furious."
Imagining how angry his grandfather would be made Manon suppress a smile.
Seeing her smile, Louis pressed his tongue against his teeth. "But I have a good idea."
"What idea?" Manon asked, intrigued.
"After you finish the project, you can give me all the profits. I'm my grandfather's grandson, so what's his is mine. Therefore, the profits will go to my grandfather, rounded up or down," Louis said, deliberately slowing his tone, half coaxing, half deceiving.
But Manon wasn't falling for it. Realizing she had been tricked, she pouted and glared at him in displeasure. "I don't want to."
Louis found her reaction inexplicably charming. She was so cute; he wanted to pinch her cheeks and pat her head. That's exactly what he did.
Without hesitation, he covered Manon's cheeks with his big hand and kneaded them like dough. Before she could react, her cheeks were already pinched.
"Ouch, it hurts! Let go, Louis!" she exclaimed, her tone a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.
Just when Manon thought he had released her, his hand suddenly covered her head again, ruffling her hair into a messy nest.
She couldn't match Louis's strength; her struggles felt like nothing to him. Realizing this, Manon stopped resisting, resigned to let him have his fun.