Glancing at the palm extended towards her, Vera Wave turned slightly and looked at Kris Cooper beside her. Her large, clear eyes focused intently on his handsome face for a moment.
"Manager Kris, you’re not...trying to hit on me, are you?!"
He was a money-grubber, so charging interest was typical of him. Making her work off her debt also made sense, as he was probably afraid she couldn’t afford to pay him back otherwise. But prohibiting her from having a boyfriend? That was a bit unusual.
Kris Cooper’s right hand, holding a strawberry with a fork, stiffened slightly. The strawberry sank deeper into the cream, pushing some of it aside.
Then, he looked up, meeting her gaze.
"What do you think?!"
The man’s tone was incredibly calm, with an added touch of haughty disdain.
Due to the lighting, his eyes appeared a deep, dark brown, reflecting a tiny silhouette—it was her.
Their faces were very close, so close she could feel his warm breath gently brushing against her cheek.
THUMP, THUMP-THUMP, THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP...
Vera Wave heard a heartbeat—her own heartbeat, which was gradually quickening.
"Have you had enough?" Kris Cooper asked.
"Uh..." Vera snapped back to her senses, realizing her gaffe. "Um... I was just kidding. Manager Kris would never be interested in someone like me, hehe..."
She once again bent over the coffee table, continuing to write the contract.
"Done with the second clause. Is there anything else?"
A boyfriend? One Harry Snowpine was more than enough. She had no desire to fall in love again right now, so it didn’t matter to her whether that clause was included or not.
"The creditor may add supplementary clauses for unsettled matters at any time. Then, regarding breach of contract: the debtor cannot refuse to serve the creditor for any reason. Otherwise, all costs arising therefrom shall be borne by the debtor..."
"Are you serious? You’re worse than a loan shark! What if I get sick or have an emergency?"
"You can take sick leave if you’re ill. As for other things..." Kris Cooper stuffed the strawberry into her mouth. He then used the spoon to scrape a dab of cream from the corner of her lips, brought the spoon to his own, and licked it clean. "We’ll assess those on a case-by-case basis. If it’s something understandable, I can overlook it."
Vera Wave quickly jotted down his words as an addendum. This guy was so unpredictable; with it in black and white, he wouldn’t be able to go back on his word.
"There’s one more clause." Kris Cooper pulled the spoon from his mouth. "During the contract period, the debtor is not allowed to leave the city, move, change her phone number, change her work address, disappear without reason, fail to answer the creditor’s calls, or turn off her phone for any reason, including a dead battery, service suspension, no remaining credit, or no signal." Kris Cooper rattled off eight prohibitions in one breath before finally adding, "Unless she obtains the creditor’s consent."
"This... this is a bit much, isn’t it? You’re not my mother, why are you controlling all this?!"
"This is to protect my interests. What if you try to run away from your debt?" Kris Cooper spread his hands. "Otherwise, you can just pay me back the money now."
"No, no, no! Can’t I just write it down?"
Vera Wave buried her head and continued writing, secretly pouting. What goes around comes around. Just wait until the day I have money! I’ll throw a million at him and make him strip for me!
"Add a clause for breach of contract: If the debtor violates the agreement, she must not only repay the full amount owed to the creditor but also pay a penalty fee..."
Vera Wave reached out and grabbed his hand, the one holding the fork. "Manager Kris, Brother Kris, Lord Kris..."
"You’re absolutely not old! You look even younger than me." Vera Wave smiled fawningly. "Kris Oppa, Brother Kris... Is that good enough?"
"Brother Kris." Seeing his expression soften slightly, Vera continued, raising her other hand in a pledge. "I swear on my integrity, I absolutely will not breach the contract. Let’s not write in that penalty clause, okay? What do you think?"