The Day I Kissed An Older Man novel Chapter 2698

"Miss Rita," Sherman acknowledged with a slight nod. "I hadn't expected the host to be so uncomfortable with all the socializing."

Rita dropped all pretenses after running into him. She smoothed the hem of her skirt with one hand while the other clutched a handful of little titbits she had swiped from the kitchen. She had avoided eating any of the main meals so as not to leave a bad impression on the guests, but her hunger was becoming too much to bear.

"You can't gatekeep feelings. Am I not allowed to feel that way?" she retorted. "You're acting like you're so high and mighty."

"Those who act high and mighty tend to think others are too," Sherman confessed with a wry smile. "Tell me, do you still think I've taken your seat? I presumed you'd grasp the situation once you knew who I was."

Rita rolled her eyes and continued to nibble on her titbits. "Just because you're a company president doesn't mean you wouldn't have taken that seat. We both have the money to afford the ticket. Why do you insist Miss Claire reserved that seat for you? Hasn't it crossed your mind that it could just be a simple error? I hate it when people are so condescending."

Sherman could not help but notice Rita's agitation as she vented her frustration by biting furiously into a cream puff. It was as if she was projecting him onto the helpless pastry.

"I can understand where you're coming from if you were just a different reporter," Sherman remarked, "But aren't you the same as us? Your status is among the elite too."

What surprised him most was that she retained an all-too-rare innocence despite her affluent upbringing and her rather complicated family situation. It was unlike other people whose scheming tendencies were written all over their faces.

"You don't seem too happy. Is it because I've exposed your true nature?" Sherman asked, his tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

Rita let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "It's because I can't refute what you said. As much as I've tried to secure a position at New Capital Times through my own merit, my background still overshadows everything else. It will continue to do so for as long as I bear this name. No amount of effort I put in will ever be acknowledged for what it is—my effort."