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Chapter 8 Not Interested

Catherine thought snagging Manuel's contact info was a big win, but she never saw it coming when he jetted off for a three-month study abroad without a heads-up.

She found out through the grapevine. Clearly, Manuel didn't think much of her.

All her hard work felt like it went down the drain. Even couples struggle with three months of no contact, let alone a relationship that hadn't even hit the "maybe" stage.

Thinking about all the gorgeous women and temptations abroad, plus Manuel being single, Catherine felt pretty hopeless and down.

And reality? It was just as she feared. Manuel didn't send her a single message. Heck, he didn't even think about her.

A guy like Manuel was always the center of attention. It didn't take long for him to catch the eye of a professor's daughter, Ophelia Cole, in the lab.

After class, Ophelia would drag Manuel out to eat, and even during class, she stuck to him like glue.

Professor Lance Cole saw his daughter's crush on Manuel clear as day. He also thought highly of Manuel, and with the Green family being well-known locally, Manuel seemed like a perfect son-in-law. The two families were a match made in heaven.

After a group dinner, Ophelia once again brought a bottle of 1982 Lafite to Manuel's room. She was wearing a super low-cut top and a denim mini skirt, showing off her cleavage. With the night adding to the mood, she boldly leaned against Manuel.

"Dr. Green, do you like my figure?" Her voice was sweet and soft, with a slight drawl, a stark contrast to her hot body.

Any other guy probably wouldn't have been able to resist, but Manuel simply said, "It's quite nice," and didn't make a move.

Seeing he neither accepted nor rejected her, Ophelia got bolder. She put the wine on the table, pulled her top down a bit more, and her chest was practically spilling out. She straddled Manuel.

Manuel's eyes flicked to her heaving chest, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Ophelia wasn't happy with his reaction. Her eyes were full of fire, and she asked bluntly, "Even someone like me can't get you interested?"

"Not interested." Manuel leaned back on his hands, still smiling, but his eyes were colder.

Ophelia wasn't discouraged. She was confident in her looks and body. Plenty of men chased after her. She didn't believe any man could resist her. "How about a glass of wine to set the mood?" Ophelia said, pretending not to have heard Manuel's words.

Manuel was getting a bit fed up. He gently pushed her off and put some distance between them. "I suggest you have some self-respect."

Rejected, Ophelia was now a bit angry. She couldn't understand why. She had offered herself; what reason could there be to refuse?

"Manuel, I'm a perfect match for you in every way; what are you dissatisfied with?" Ophelia was persistent, her straightforward personality demanding a clear answer.

Manuel shot back coldly, "How are you any different from those other women who throw themselves at men? Even if you don't care about yourself, think about your family's reputation."

He didn't want to be so harsh, but Ophelia just wouldn't get the hint. So, he had to lay it out bluntly.

Lance was a respected teacher, and Manuel didn't want to offend him. He knew that if he hooked up with Ophelia, he'd be expected to take responsibility later. Marriage was not on his agenda.

Ophelia's face turned red with anger. She stood there for a few minutes before storming out and slamming the door.

Manuel thought that would be the end of it, but to his surprise, Ophelia bounced back quickly and even told Lance about it. Now Lance was making his stance clear in front of Ophelia.

"I've heard about your situation from Ophelia. I support her decision," Lance said earnestly to Manuel. "Ophelia has made some achievements in her academic pursuits. She's my only daughter, and if you two can fall in love, her mother and I are 100% supportive."

Manuel didn't shut him down directly, keeping his tone calm. "Ophelia and I are just colleagues, Mr. Cole. It's a bit early to talk about this." He had no intention of suddenly coming home as a married man.

Lance didn't seem bothered by his response, thinking it was just a matter of time. He believed in independence and freedom, thinking Ophelia should decide her own marriage. So he left without pushing further.

"Did you hear what my dad said?" Ophelia had a smug look on her face. "I'm going to pursue you openly, not like those other women you mentioned."

Frivolous women. Manuel suddenly thought of Catherine. He raised an eyebrow. "Pursue me?"

"Why, is that strange?" Ophelia winked at him. "If I want to, I can get you sooner or later."

They said it was easy for a girl to pursue a guy; with her advantages, it was just a matter of time.

Manuel was intrigued by her confidence. Many women had said they liked him, but none had caught his interest like this.

Three months flew by, and during that time, Ophelia found all sorts of excuses to be around him whenever he was free.

Before leaving, Lance called Manuel to his office.

"Ophelia told me last night that she wants to go back with you, and I agreed. What do you think?" Lance was straightforward, his tone gentle but authoritative.

Manuel understood the message. "If Ophelia wants to go back, I'll make the arrangements. Mr. Cole, you can rest assured," he replied formally, leaving Lance with nothing to criticize.

Lance said, "Ophelia may not be fully accomplished yet, but she's learned a lot from me. Going back to assist you as an assistant is completely fine."

Manuel understood Lance's confidence in Ophelia's skills and agreed. Though he liked beautiful women, he preferred those who were both smart and beautiful.

The next afternoon, Ophelia was on the same flight back to Emerald City with him.

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