The Substitute Bride Is Reborn and Loves Her Husband No more - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Her ideas were like those of an elementary school kid.

“Sorry, ma’am! I’m really sorry!”

A figure of a lady hit Rose as she was searching for the famous restaurant. Rose immediately panicked, bending down and apologizing to the person.

“Oh, I’m so, so sorry! It was an accident. Forgive me for not paying attention.”

The young lady gave a sweet smile and told Rose it was okay. Rose thanked her and continued looking at the different tables for Mr. Kelvin Klein.

This restaurant was where their meeting was set, and she needed to find him here. She hadn’t expected it to be this difficult to locate him.

Her feet were already hurting from standing for such a long time.

“Maybe I should call him. I can’t keep standing here looking weird in this crowded restaurant,” she thought to herself.

Rose was about to take out her phone from her bag when she suddenly saw someone waving at her with a smile. It was a man in a silver shirt.

He had dark brown hair, well-gelled, long legs, and fine, sharp features.

Rose quickly snapped herself back to her senses, looking carefully at the person waving at her.

“Mr. Kelvin?” she questioned herself, subconsciously moving forward a little faster to close the distance between them.

Rose kept looking at the man to be sure. She didn’t want to embarrass herself by approaching a stranger. She wasn’t sure how she would handle the awkwardness if she was mistaken.

“Are you Mr. Kelvin?” Rose asked hesitantly, looking up at the tall man before her to confirm.

A smile formed on his face, and then she saw his lips move. His voice was deep and masculine, but not overly so.

“Yes, I am. Your father told me about you. Come, let’s have a seat.”

Mr. Kelvin gestured politely, and Rose subconsciously nodded. She realized they were already standing next to their designated table and took her seat with ease.

On the outside, she appeared calm, but inside, her composure was breaking.

She was finally here. She couldn’t afford to mess things up. This was a man who could help her with her business. Rose steadied herself, putting on a confident smile to hide her dilemma.

Mr. Kelvin observed her, his lips curving into a smirk.

“So, your father told me you have a business proposal and that I should invest. What are your ideas?” he asked, clearing his throat and gesturing for her to begin.

“Ah, yes,” Rose nodded, clearing her own throat. “I wouldn’t say it’s much of a business deal, Mr. Kelvin, but I promise you, if you help me with this, your money will not go to waste. Any contributions you make will be worthwhile.”

Rose explained everything clearly, her voice smooth and steady. Her eyes remained calm, exuding the confidence of a determined woman.

Mr. Kelvin’s eyes narrowed slightly as if he had caught onto something only he could understand. His smirk deepened, making his already handsome features even more striking.

Rose paused in the middle of her explanation, wondering if she had said something amusing. Was that why he was smirking?

“Am I doing this right? Or am I making a mistake?”

She couldn’t help but question herself. She felt her palms getting sweaty, though she hoped no one noticed.

Rose was confused as she spoke, then looked at Mr. Kelvin and asked, “I have explained everything. Is there anything that I missed, Mr. Kelvin?”

“No,” Mr. Kelvin shook his head, his eyes staring at her intently.

Rose bit her lip, unsure of how to handle the situation. She had just explained all her brilliant ideas to him, yet he remained calm and quiet, taking his time to respond. At times, she almost felt like his attention was elsewhere, but she quickly pushed that thought aside, telling herself she was overthinking.

“Your ideas are very good, Ms. Rose.”

Her bitter expression disappeared as Mr. Kelvin’s voice suddenly reached her ears. She couldn’t help but lift her head slightly, meeting his gaze more directly. Her heart pounded as if it would leap out of her chest when she saw him smiling at her. His smile was caught between warmth and something unreadable, as if he was about to say something important.

Mr. Kelvin casually picked up his glass of water and took a slow sip, his actions leaving Rose hanging in anticipation.

“Nice idea… at least, nice for an elementary school kid.”

Rose’s expression fell.

The words were far worse than the ten thousand possible responses she had imagined in her mind. His comment was cold, cutting through her like a blade. Everything she had just presented—her skills, her hard work—had just been insulted.

She clenched her fists under the table, forcing herself to remain composed as she chanted silently in her heart:

“Calm down, Rose. Mr. Kelvin is someone above you, someone you’re asking for help. Don’t act rashly or irrationally.”

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath, missing the slight smirk that played on Mr. Kelvin’s lips. It almost seemed like he wanted to laugh, but he quickly masked his expression with ease, his cold smirk returning.

“Please, Mr. Kelvin,” Rose finally spoke, her voice smooth and controlled. “If you think my ideas are bad, I would appreciate it if you could share your reasons so I can understand and improve next time.”

Mr. Kelvin watched her with amusement, laughing internally at how well she masked her emotions. She presented herself as calm and collected, but he could tell she was holding something back.

He was taking note of her qualities. He wasn’t going to waste time working with someone incompetent, but if she wasn’t useless, then perhaps doing business with her wouldn’t be a bad idea. After all, her father was his father’s best friend, and he had personally asked him to help her. He had agreed out of boredom more than anything else.

“The reason why I said your idea is bad,” Mr. Kelvin began, “is simple. Why would you offer free auditions for young actresses when this isn’t charity work? Even in a bet, you have to put something at stake before you can play and decide your win. Think about it—what would you gain as the company owner if you offer free auditions? An entrepreneur should always be wealthier than their employees. And besides, where would you even get the money to pay all of them as a reward for good acting? Because, Miss Rose, I can assure you, I did not come here to donate to this cause.”

“Oh…” Rose murmured, raising an eyebrow as she processed his words. Her expression showed that she was deep in thought.

What he said made sense.

She hadn’t considered those points before. When he had compared her idea to that of an elementary school kid, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“You’re right. Thank you for teaching me,” Rose folded her hands together, closed her eyes briefly, and spoke with sincerity.

At that moment, Mr. Kelvin could no longer hold it in. A low chuckle escaped his lips.