Ch 7 Richard's date

Listening to her request, Richard didn't know what to say.

Seeing the surprised face of the beauty, she quickly said, "I mean, can you pretend to be my boyfriend?"

"Why do you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?" Richard said.

"I have a meeting with a client of our company, but that guy is a famous playboy of X city, and he gives me a bad feeling. So, can you help me? Just this once."

Listening to her, Richard accepted her request.

"By the way, my name is Lisa," Lisa said with a smile.

"My name is Richard."

Soon, both came to the hotel arranged for the meeting.

Klaus was waiting for Lisa at the hotel. At a social gathering in the city, he saw Lisa and was attracted by her beauty. He wanted to meet her soon, so he arranged a deal with her company. After the meeting, he had planned to propose to Lisa. He never thought that anyone would reject him, as he was the son of the richest man in X city.

When he saw Lisa coming, he was excited—but then he noticed a guy accompanying her. His eyes darkened, though he forced a fake smile and welcomed her, ignoring Richard entirely.

Richard didn't care about the slight. He sat close to Lisa, maintaining his role.

"Lisa, who might this friend be?" Klaus asked, pointing at Richard.

"He is my boyfriend," Lisa replied shyly.

Even though Richard was only pretending to be her boyfriend, this was the first time Lisa had been in such close contact with a man. The cool yet warm aura he gave off made her blush.

Klaus was furious. He never imagined the woman he liked already had a man. But judging by Richard's clothes, Klaus assumed he was just a poor boy with a handsome face.

He had already arranged everything to force Lisa to accept his proposal.

Klaus and Lisa discussed their deal while Richard, feeling bored, excused himself to go to the restroom. Seeing Richard walk away, Klaus glared at his bodyguard, signaling him to follow and prevent Richard from returning until he had proposed to Lisa.

The bodyguard obeyed, trailing Richard to the restroom.

Back at the dining table, Klaus and Lisa continued their discussion—until suddenly, Klaus stood up, startling her.

He pulled out a ring with a massive diamond and began his confession:

*"Lisa, I know this is out of the blue, but I really like you."*

As soon as Klaus proposed, everyone in the hotel stood up, chanting:

"Accept him!"

"Accept him!"

"Accept him!"

Some even pulled out their phones to record the confession.

This spectacle was entirely orchestrated by Klaus beforehand—to pressure Lisa into accepting his proposal.

**"You know I already have a boyfriend,"** Lisa said firmly.

**"I know, but he's not worthy of you,"** Klaus retorted without hesitation.

Lisa's anger flared, but before she could respond, a hand slid around her waist from behind. She turned to see Richard, his presence calm yet commanding.

**"We don't need your opinion on our relationship. So just piss off,"** Richard said, his glare sharp as he subtly tightened his grip on Lisa.

Klaus was terrified—his legs shook uncontrollably as he envisioned himself drowning in a lake of blood, with Richard smiling coldly beside him.

Richard had known Klaus's bodyguards were following him. The moment he entered the bathroom, he swiftly knocked them out and returned unnoticed.

Panicked, Klaus fled the hotel without looking back.

Lisa was confused by Klaus's sudden escape but had bigger worries. Her cosmetic company was in crisis—they needed a new formula for their upcoming product, but Klaus and the Miller family's son had seized control of it.

The Miller family, the wealthiest in X City, held all the leverage. Just as Lisa despaired over losing the formula, Klaus reappeared, offering to "discuss a deal" about it.

She knew his reputation all too well—Klaus was X City's most notorious playboy.

Lisa had initially sought Richard's help to avoid trouble with Klaus, but she couldn't deny her growing interest in him. Every time she saw his face, her heart raced wildly—though she tried to calm herself.

Now, she faced another crisis: without a new product, her company wouldn't survive much longer.

As they left the hotel and prepared to part ways, Richard noticed her somber expression. When he asked, Lisa explained her company's struggles.

After a moment of thought, Richard quietly filled a small bottle with his "beautifying water" and handed it to her.

**"Try this. Wash your face with it tonight and tell me the results tomorrow,"** he said.

Though confused, Lisa accepted the bottle. They exchanged numbers before going their separate ways.