Goodbye My Arrogant Ex (Marguerite and Leonard) novel Chapter 168

Marguerite had been playing matchmaker for weeks, always scheming up ways to give the two of them some time alone together. After hearing her latest hint, Laura quickly got to her feet, grabbing her wine glass in the process.

She downed her drink in one go. “Mr. Zade, this one’s for you. I really appreciate everything you and your team have done for me these past few weeks. There’s still so much about the patents that I don’t fully understand, but you’ve all been incredibly patient with me.”

“And everyone’s helped me so much—I’m truly grateful,” Laura added, her voice earnest.

But deep down, she knew the real reason Luke had gone out of his way for her was because she was one of Marguerite’s people.

Luke waved off her thanks with a casual shrug. “No need for all that. If Marguerite trusts you, that’s good enough for me. She doesn’t keep anyone less than exceptional on her team.”

Despite his easy response, Laura summoned her courage and finished off the rest of her wine.

Maybe it was nerves, or maybe she was just overwhelmed, but as the alcohol hit her, she could feel her emotions spiraling out of control. She was flustered—being around someone she cared about always knocked her off balance, and every word out of Luke’s mouth seemed to hit just a little too close to her heart.

“Laura, you know you can’t handle much to drink. Take it easy.” Marguerite’s tone was gentle, clearly concerned. She understood why Laura was pushing herself—sometimes you just need a little liquid courage to get through the night, especially when facing someone like Luke.

But this was something Laura would have to learn to handle on her own. Marguerite couldn’t fight this battle for her.

“I’m fine, really. You don’t need to worry about me. It’s just one drink, and I wanted to show my gratitude,” Laura insisted.

Luke, meanwhile, frowned as he watched Laura leave. “What’s up with her tonight? She looked pale—did something happen?”

Marguerite didn’t tell him the whole story. She just offered a vague reply, “She’s probably just a little overwhelmed. And it’s been a long couple of weeks for all of us.”

Then she turned to him, her voice suddenly curious. “Luke, what do you think of Laura?”

He looked startled, caught off guard by the question. “What do you mean, what do I think? She’s the only Laura I know. Are you asking about her as a person, or how she is at work?”