Chapter 33:
Myra was slightly taken aback when Tony handed her the sandals. But then, she remembered watching an interview with him, where it was clear that the young and talented Tony had someone special in his life. This thought eased her nerves. A man like him didn’t seem like the type to be casual or fickle. With that in mind, she lowered her guard and stepped into the elevator with him.
The sound of a lazy voice echoed as they reached Tony’s floor.
“Meow, down! Good girl. Let me reward you with a grape.”
The elevator doors slid open, revealing a man and a dog. The man, wearing a floral shirt, was busy playing with a large Samoyed. His eyes lit up when he spotted them and called out to the dog.
“Meow, your master is back! Come over here! I’ll take you to him!”
Before Myra and Tony could move, the man and dog were standing in front of them. The man was handsome but had an air of carefree rebellion. He looked more like a rich, laid-back troublemaker, in contrast to Tony’s composed nature. But Myra wasn’t interested in the man. She was focused on the dog.
The Samoyed was large, fluffy, and had clean fur. It bounded towards Tony, lifting its front paws to rest against its owner. Its tongue lolled out excitedly, ready to lick Tony’s face in a show of affection.
But Tony didn’t return the warmth. Instead, he gave the dog an icy stare. The Samoyed froze, immediately lowering its paws and retreating slightly, as if intimidated by Tony’s presence.
Myra couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight. The intelligent dog, clearly aware of Tony’s authority, was too amusing.
The man, distracted by trying to comfort his dog, suddenly noticed Myra’s laughter and scowled. “Which floor’s secretary are you? How dare you laugh at the Harts’ princess? Just you wait. Director Hart will ask you to pack up and leave!”
Her laughter faltered, and she stopped, suddenly embarrassed. Before she could respond, Tony shot the man a cold, warning glare.
“Didn’t Old Madam Samson say she wanted to keep the dog for a while longer?” he asked, his voice calm but pointed.
At the mention of “Old Madam Samson,” the man, Elliot, visibly flinched, his posture shrinking as if intimidated. The reprimand from Tony had effectively silenced him. But then Elliot turned toward Myra, his eyes wide with surprise and recognition.
“She… Tony… She…?” Elliot began, his expression shifting from shock to excitement, as though he had discovered something extraordinary. He slapped his thigh in a dramatic gesture. “Tony, isn’t she—”
“Her name is Myra Stark,” Tony interrupted, his tone flat as he looked at Elliot. “She’s the designer from the Design Department at Chase Group. She might also be the representative we’ll be working with soon.”
“Myra Stark?!” Elliot’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he repeated the name, his mind clearly racing. He turned to the dog beside him. “Meow… Myra… Stark…”
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. “No way!” he thought to himself. “This is the woman Tony’s in love with!”
Myra, feeling even more awkward now, extended a polite greeting. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you indeed!” Elliot replied, shaking her hand enthusiastically. He quickly released the Samoyed, wiping his hands on his yellow sportswear before offering his hand to Myra. “My name’s Elliot Samson. Elliot with a ‘T’ and Samson, like the saint. Feel free to call me by my name, Sis… I mean, Miss Stark,” he corrected himself hurriedly when he noticed Tony’s narrowed eyes.
Myra simply nodded, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Tony’s frown deepened as he watched the handshake. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he asked lightly, “What is it?”
Elliot, sensing the danger in Tony’s tone, quickly withdrew his hand, looking sheepish. He then pointed to the Samoyed. “Well, Meow missed you, so I brought him here to visit.”
At that moment, the large dog, eager for attention, began running circles around Myra. Unable to resist, she squatted down to pet it, laughing as the dog joyfully wagged its tail.
Elliot, observing this, couldn’t help but feel slightly betrayed. “How disloyal can you get, Meow? Not even a shred of dignity left when you see a woman!” he muttered, watching as the dog seemed to forget about him entirely.
Tony, however, seemed to be quietly observing Myra and the dog, his eyes softening slightly. He watched them for a moment before walking past them, his voice calm but firm. “Let’s go. We still have business to discuss.”
The issue of Myra’s absence at the meeting was quickly resolved. Tony had a few employees from the front desk confirm that Myra had indeed shown up at the Hart Group earlier. However, Elsie had sent her away before the meeting could begin.
As Myra processed the situation, she began to wonder. Tony had been so quick to believe her earlier when she casually mentioned why she missed the meeting. What if she had been lying to him? She didn’t know why, but for some reason, she felt relieved when Tony said he would reconsider the collaboration with Chase Group. She thanked him politely before leaving.
Meanwhile, back in the office, Elliot couldn’t contain his excitement. He watched Tony, who was resting his forehead on his hand, deep in thought. Elliot chuckled mischievously as he approached him. “So, she’s the woman you’re interested in, huh? Myra Stark, what a name! I had Lucas dig up some info about her!”
Tony’s eyes snapped open, his gaze shifting from Elliot to the dog at his feet. The mention of Myra had clearly stirred something in him.
Meow, sensing Tony’s attention, moved closer, nudging Tony’s knee with its paws. This time, Tony didn’t push the dog away. Instead, he patted its head gently, surprising Elliot.
Elliot gawked in disbelief. “Tony, are you… actually taking care of Meow yourself now? I never thought I’d see the day.”
Tony looked down at the dog, his mind racing with thoughts he wasn’t quite ready to share. “Maybe I should,” he muttered, his expression unreadable.