From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 55

They walked back to the private room and Max handed Eleanor the menu, letting her order first.

She glanced over the menu and instantly felt a pang in her chest. Not a single price listed. That could only mean one thing. Everything here was going to cost a fortune.

Mentally preparing herself for the worst, Eleanor just chose two main dishes at random. Max added a couple more, not even glancing at the options.

Once the waiter left, silence settled between them. Two people who barely knew each other, sitting in an expensive restaurant, neither quite sure what to say.

Luckily, the food came out fast. They ate quietly until Max finally broke the silence. “So, how’s work treating you?”

For a second, Eleanor felt like she was still clocked in. Eating dinner with the big boss definitely counted as overtime in her book. Only this time, she was the one footing the bill. Unbelievable.

“It’s fine,” she answered.

Then, she remembered the party the other night. She couldn’t help herself. “Mr. Clarkson, at the party, the guy on the terrace... that wasn’t your brother, was it?”

So, she’d caught on. Max didn’t even flinch. “Really? You’ve met my brother before?”

“I ran into him in the elevator once,” Eleanor said, realizing he was dodging her question. She pressed a little more. “So, why did you lie to me?”

Max just smiled, picked up a piece of fish, and set it in her bowl. “I wasn’t lying. I thought it was my brother at first, but then the voice didn’t sound right. By the time I figured it out, everyone had already come inside. It would’ve been weird to leave at that point.”

“Would’ve been even more awkward for the couple sneaking around out there, don’t you think?”

She watched him tell this story with a completely straight face and decided not to say anything more.

“Are you mad?” Max asked.

“I wouldn’t dare.”

He caught the hint of a smile in her eyes. Not daring meant she was, just a little.

He watched her eat, small, careful bites. She really did eat like a cat.

“Don’t be mad. Think of this dinner as my apology. Next time, you can treat me.”

Eleanor almost said that wouldn’t be necessary, but when she looked up and saw the way he was watching her, she closed her mouth. No use arguing. With a guy like Max, even a little bit of authority made it impossible for her to say no.

After that, neither of them said much. It almost felt like Max had driven her all the way out here just to share a meal, nothing more.

When they finished, Eleanor wanted to say he didn’t have to drop her off, but one look at the quiet, nearly empty street outside made her swallow her words.

Max sat in the back seat and told the driver, “Whitehaven Commons.”

He already knew the way.

Eleanor watched the city lights blur past, her reflection flickering between the dim streetlamps and the bright neon signs, until the car stopped in front of her building.

“Thank you, Mr. Clarkson.”

“Go on,” Max replied, his voice even.

Eleanor got out, gave a little wave back at him, and jogged inside.

“Peter, there’s a limit to how much nonsense I can take.”

She honestly had no idea what he was trying to pull. He’d seen the divorce papers.

She let out a sharp laugh. “Peter, if your family ever goes broke, you should try acting. You’ve got real talent.”

“You saw the divorce agreement on the nightstand, didn’t you? Who exactly are you performing for right now?”

“Let’s just get this over with and go file. If you don’t want to, then I’ll see you in court.”

She pulled her hand away and walked off without looking back.

Peter just stood there, stunned. What divorce agreement? On the nightstand?

He started after her, but the building’s security guard came over. “Sir, someone reported you for harassment. If you don’t want trouble, you should leave now.”

Peter’s face darkened. He turned and drove straight back to the villa.

When he got home, his mom Autumn saw him rush in but didn’t get a chance to speak before he ran upstairs.

Peter went to the bedroom and stared at the nightstand. He yanked the drawer open. Nothing inside. He checked the other side. Also empty.

He scoffed. Divorce agreement? This was just another one of her tricks.

Peter would sooner believe the sun rose in the west than believe Eleanor would ever leave him.