Bonnie’s eyes widened in surprise as she flinched backward to avoid Ivor’s hand. An inch more, and he would have removed her mask. Bonnie scolded, “You’ve overstepped your boundaries, Ivor.” Ivor gazed at her and said, “You misunderstood me. There’s something on your mask, and I was trying to wipe it off.”
She pursed her lips and left.
“Wait, Ms. Bonita!” Ivor yelled and chased after her.
“Stay away from me,” she said as she picked up her pace. Suddenly, she heard a thud, followed by a grunt. She turned and saw that Ivor had fallen to the floor, clutching his belly in agony.
The veins on his forehead bulged from the pain. He even began to sweat and turn pale. Bonnie raced to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Ivor answered through gritted teeth, “M-My stomach hurts.”
“Is it appendicitis?” Her brows knitted tightly.
“I-I don’t know.”
It looked critical, and Bonnie dared not waste a second. She grabbed Ivor’s wrist and checked his pulse. He smirked when he noticed how proficient he was. “So, you do have extensive medical knowledge.” His voice did not sound strained. Instead, he sounded healthy. Then, Bonnie realized what had happened. She thought, ‘He pretended to be sick!’
Ivor tore off her mask before she could loosen her grip on him.
“Hey, you—”
“I knew it. It’s really you.” He smiled at her and grabbed her wrist. Soon, memories flooded his mind, explaining everything.
For instance, Bonnie knew about the press conference date for the latest nanomaterial. She also said she wanted to give them the development rights to the nanomaterial.
She also had lunch with the professors from Bonita Research Institute. Ivor even remembered Jim working as Bonnie’s bodyguard in the Knights’ villa to protect her. Many more instances were shrouded in mystery, but finally, everything was explained.
“Why’d you hide it from me?”
Bonnie helplessly replied, “Was it ever worth mentioning?”
“What do you mean? You’re Bonita, for crying out loud!”
“So what if I am? The public would praise me as a science prodigy above everyone, but I consider myself a scientific researcher who loves science. I’m the same as those who pour their heart and soul into their jobs. I’m nothing more, nothing less.”
Bonnie blew her horn so effortlessly that Ivor could not help but feel ashamed of himself.
Ivor said, “I’ve always been called the business genius of my time. What’s more, I confidently wear that title. However, I feel immensely inadequate compared to you.”
Bonnie disagreed, “I don’t think that’s true. We’re just different. Given your qualities, you can afford to look down on people. There’s no need for you to be modest and underplay your achievements. It isn’t your character to do so.
“On the other hand, I dislike attention and the hassle it brings. I only want to focus on my work. You don’t need to compare yourself to me,” Bonnie’s words cheered Ivor up instantly.
The latter remarked, “Yeah, but you’re the genius who surpasses all of Arvandor. Your words easily commanded my respect and admiration.”
Then, he cupped her cheeks and said, “What will I do, Bonnie? I think I’m falling deeper in love with you by the second!”
