Chapter one hundred and twenty five

Tristan carelessly sprayed a mouthful of water onto the file in front of him while not paying attention. Hastily rising from his seat, he reached for a few tissues to blot the dampened papers. Maricela simply stood there, observing the mishap unfold before her eyes.

Frustrated, Tristan shook his head and tossed the wet tissue into the trash can. He then turned to Maricela with a smile and suggested, "Let's skip lunch; I've been swamped with work recently."

Despite Tristan's smile, Maricela sensed a lack of sincerity in his words, which irked her slightly. She had approached him earlier with a humble invitation to have lunch together, only to be turned down.

"Tristan, I've told you before that if you ever face any challenges at work or in life, you can always turn to me. You don't need to treat me to lunch," Maricela said, forcing a smile.

"It's fine. If you're busy, then never mind," she added before promptly leaving, her destination unknown.

After Maricela departed, Tristan's colleag