Delayed Passion: Miss Lynch's Unrequited Love-Chapter 30: Secret Rivalry With Him

Like other wealthy heirs in Coronet, Ian Preston also has a hobby of car racing, although he is not as passionate as Silas Cheney and the others.

He has his own private garage with plenty of cars under his name, so it’s not easy to recognize his cars, but his license plates are quite memorable.

For instance, this consecutive number plate from Coronet.

Thea Lynch took a deep breath and smiled at Foreman Chandler and the others, "I’ll go over there for a bit."

"Ah, alright, alright." The group confidently made way for her.

Thea Lynch walked to the Bentley’s rear seat and bent over to knock on the car window.

The window slowly rolled down, and sure enough, Ian Preston was sitting inside.

Upon seeing him, Thea Lynch pursed her lips, "Third Brother, are you looking for me?"

"Where are you going?" Ian Preston saw her with her colleagues, his dark eyes tightly locked on the figure outside the window: "A dinner gathering?"

Thea Lynch responded with a sound.

"I reserved a restaurant."

"So?"

"Taking you out for dinner."

Thea Lynch was dumbfounded, "Well, it’s really unfortunate that I’ve already promised my colleagues."

Ian Preston furrowed his brows, pressing his thin lips into a line. After a while, he asked, "Can’t you cancel?"

"I could." She smiled brightly, then continued, "But I don’t want to."

The intention of opposing him was all too evident.

Ian Preston gave her a deep look.

Thea Lynch looked back at him, her smile unwavering, with an air of defiance and entitlement.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll be off first; it’s not good to make them wait too long."

With that, she straightened up, intending to leave. Just as her figure was about to disappear outside the car window, she paused her steps and returned a couple of steps, peeking into the car:

"By the way, if Third Brother wants to invite me to dinner next time, remember to call and make a reservation a week in advance. My schedule is quite packed too."

"..."

Seeing her return, her colleagues curiously asked who he was.

Thea Lynch didn’t mention a name, she simply said, "A childhood friend. Let’s go, time for dinner."

——

At ten o’clock at night, after the dinner gathering, her colleagues dropped Thea Lynch off at the apartment building.

Watching the car drive away, Thea Lynch rubbed her sore neck, yawning as she went inside.

Someone was using the elevator, which was taking forever to come down. Running out of patience, she turned and pushed open the safety door, leisurely heading upstairs.

The floor she lived on wasn’t high, just a minute or two away.

The hallway had sound-activated lights, and when Thea Lynch exited the passage, it was pitch dark. The overhead light remained unlit for some time. Puzzled, she looked up while gently tapping the floor with her heel.

Soon, the light flickered, and the corridor instantly brightened. Only then did Thea Lynch contentedly withdraw her gaze.

A figure suddenly intruded upon her view. The person, clad in black, stood straight by her apartment door.

"..." Thea Lynch’s heart skipped a beat in fright, instinctively stepping back. Once she realized who it was, she cursed under her breath, "Why didn’t you make a sound! You scared me!"

Ian Preston also frowned, "Why didn’t you take the elevator."

Pressing her hand against her heart, Thea Lynch steadied herself before approaching him with a chilly expression, ignoring his comment.

"Anything else you’re here for?" Whenever she’s in a bad mood, she immediately drops her façade. No polite language, no smiles for him.

Ian Preston gazed down at her and asked, "Did you receive the flowers today?"

Thea Lynch paused her motion of entering her password; were those roses sent by Ian Preston?

"Yeah." She replied vaguely.

"Why didn’t you bring them home."

Thea Lynch pouted; she couldn’t exactly say she left them in the restroom, could she? Awkwardly rubbing her nose, she fibbed, "Because they looked too nice. Leaving them at my desk, I can see them every day."

Silence enveloped the surroundings, the atmosphere felt off.

Thea Lynch wasn’t sure what was happening, only sensing his gaze locked onto her, an unabashed stare making her somewhat uncomfortable.

She looked up at him, "I want to enter the password, Third Brother are you still going to watch?"

Ian Preston’s gaze lingered on her face for two seconds, then he said, "No need to watch your password. I can guess it."

"..."

Thea Lynch glared at him, and in front of him, forcefully pressed the password lock.

Changing her shoes, she turned to find him still standing outside the door, acting on instinct she wanted to invite him inside, but the words got stuck at her lips.

"Is there anything else, Third Brother?"

She had finished eating, why had he come? Moreover, he didn’t seem to have any intention of coming inside.

Such a strange situation.

Ian Preston indeed didn’t intend to step inside. When she asked, he finally acted, handing over a beautifully packaged box from beside him, flat and about the size of a book. Thea Lynch was mildly startled, looking at him in puzzlement, seemingly asking what it was.

"A necklace."

"For me?"

"Yes."

Today happens to be somewhat special; why would he choose such a moment to give her something like this?

Was it because Norbert Rhodes gave her a necklace that day?

Thinking it over, Thea Lynch didn’t take it, "I don’t like wearing necklaces."

She usually wears her watch the most, along with the Agarwood Bracelet she never takes off. She wears a watch because she’s very time-conscious, and the bracelet holds different significance.

Unless it’s for a major event or family dinner, she might pick out a couple of pieces of jewelry. Otherwise, she always felt these things were a burden to her.

Ian Preston’s hand remained outstretched in the air, not retracting despite her words.

The two faced each other in a tense standoff, like quietly battling to see who would concede first in this game.

Knowing her nature, Thea Lynch couldn’t possibly yield, especially not to Ian Preston. To her, submission was possible with anyone, except Ian Preston.

The situation with Ian Preston transcends mere personality traits.

She raised her chin, poised and unfaltering. In her work attire, she radiated a more imposing presence, certainly not conceding to the man opposite her.

Eventually, Ian Preston conceded first, catching her off guard by taking her hand and placing the box in it.

"It’s compensation from last time. If you don’t like it, return it to Norbert Rhodes."

His tone was stern, devoid of emotional nuance, and after speaking, he turned and left without reluctance.

Thea Lynch’s mind went blank for a second. By the time she ran out, the elevator was already descending.

He didn’t give her a chance to refuse at all.

Returning to the living room, Thea Lynch tossed the box onto the table, sat on the sofa, arms folded, scrutinizing the box with a serious expression.

No logo was visible on the box, nor did it hint at which brand the necklace belonged to. It looked as if it came from an auction, well-suited to Ian Preston’s status.

She remembered that Norbert Rhodes’ piece was from a major brand, though she didn’t know the specific style, she recalled it started at thirty thousand, not particularly costly.

Should she really return this one to Norbert Rhodes? She wasn’t losing her mind.

Curiosity eventually overcame her, and Thea Lynch couldn’t sit still, standing to reach for the box again, weighing it in her hand, it did have some heft.

The moment she untied the ribbon, Thea Lynch felt like she was opening Pandora’s box.

Under the light, the diamond necklace lying quietly inside the box was even more dazzling and attention-grabbing.

As expected, whatever Ian Preston sends wouldn’t be anything cheap.

In previous years, she had devoted herself entirely to her studies, unlike other heiresses who were knowledgeable about jewelry and accessories. Driven by curiosity, she snapped a picture and sent it to an older schoolmate she knew abroad.

The reply came swiftly, "So it was you who got it at the auction!"

Confused, Thea Lynch sent a question mark, "It’s not mine. What’s its story?"

"This appeared at the Portsilver auction a couple of days ago, over a hundred carats, its sale price was about four million USD."