"Mm." I nodded, not daring to meet his gaze again. Cherry stood by my side, her eyes curious and ambiguous as she stared at me, seemingly noticing something amiss. "Please, Mr. Carter, raise your arm flat." I changed to a longer, softer measuring tape and politely reminded as I turned around. Daniel Carter stood still in front of me, and as I moved behind him, I realized he was nearly 1.9 meters tall. Thankfully, I am 1.72 meters tall; otherwise, I would have to step on a stool to measure him if I were shorter. He was very cooperative, and I smoothly finished measuring his upper body. When it was time to measure the waist and hips, I was a bit troubled. Should I hug from the front or from the back? I became conflicted. Strangely, all the ladies who were talking and laughing suddenly fell silent, and all their eyes were fixed on me. I suddenly became nervous, my ears inexplicably burning and perhaps turning red. "What’s wrong, Miss Miller?" My hesitation was noticed by Daniel Carter, who asked suspiciously. "Oh, it’s nothing... You’re too tall." I blurted out. "Should I squat down then?" "No, no, that’s not necessary." I denied quickly, biting my lip, and hugged him from the front, wrapping the soft tape around his waist and abdomen, fastening it back at the front. I have grown up only having had relatively close contact with Adrian Gordon among peers of the opposite sex. I’ve tailored clothes for male customers before, but it was always other designers doing the measurements; I never had to step in myself. The moment I hugged him, he slightly lowered his head, his warm breath just sweeping past the side of my face, causing my heart to skip a beat. The clean scent of forest and grass on him swept over me; it was the same as the aroma on the handkerchief he had given me. For some reason, my heartbeat grew increasingly chaotic, as if there was a flame in front of me roasting my whole body with heat. However, it wasn’t over yet; after measuring the waist, I still needed to measure his hips. Embracing from the front was too ambiguous. At this moment, I didn’t have the courage to stand in front of him again, so I walked around behind him and hugged his waist and hips from behind. Because I was distracted, I failed to hold the measuring tape firmly, dropped it, and instinctively reached out to catch it, accidentally touching his lower abdomen. Daniel Carter’s body shook, and my mind exploded as I suddenly realized I had just grabbed his... there. In all my years of working, I’ve never committed such an absurd mistake! Would he consider me as particularly vulgar and lustful, even brazen and shameless for daring to make such frivolous and wanton behavior in public? "I-I’m sorry!" I immediately apologized, the measurement unfinished, retreating several steps, feeling utterly embarrassed. The ladies on the sofa were baffled, hastily looking over when they saw the scene. "What’s going on here?" Read complete version only at ⓝovelFire.net "Daniel, did you startle Miss Miller?" "No, no, Mr. Carter was very polite; it’s my clumsiness." I quickly explained, holding the measuring tape, not daring to look at Daniel Carter, wishing I could disappear. Daniel Carter turned back to ask me too, "Miss Miller, what’s wrong?" I looked up at him, seeing his baffled expression, suddenly understanding. He’s pretending not to notice, intending to save me from embarrassment. I breathed a sigh of relief, finally calming down a bit. He asked, "Do you still need to measure?" I promptly adjusted my composure, picked up the measuring tape, and this time carefully wrapped it around his waist, successfully measuring his hip circumference. His hips are quite shapely. Through the fabric, I could feel the strong muscles of his lower body. I roughly estimated that his waist-to-hip ratio was about 0.8, with broad shoulders, narrow hips, and long legs—a perfect physique comparable to professional male models. "Cherry, did you note everything down?" I turned to speak to the assistant, continuing to ease the discomfort. "Yes, I’ve recorded it all." I nodded, packed up the tools, and inquired about the guests’ clothing preferences one by one. Some prefer tailored fits, some like looser styles, and even among dresses, older ones prefer long dresses, while younger ones favor short ones. I carefully marked it all on the tablet computer to ensure the next designs meet the requirements. When everything was finished, it was nearing noon. Mrs. Carter invited us to stay for lunch, but how could I accept? I immediately declined, using work as an excuse. Daniel Carter raised his wrist to check his watch, his handsome eyebrows slightly furrowed, "I have an appointment with Old Master Chandler for lunch, so I must leave as well." "Alright," Mrs. Carter stood up and nodded, "Why don’t you escort Miss Miller then." "Ma’am, that’s not necessary, I—" "Miss Miller, please." Before I had a chance to refuse, Daniel Carter slightly raised his hand. His demeanor was exceptionally cultivated, gentle and affable, yet his noble status still commanded respect. Conveniently, I also had the chance to return the handkerchief to its rightful owner. Outside the main house, I handed my backpack to Cherry, instructing her to wait in the car. "Mr. Carter, there’s something I need to return to you." I took out the neatly folded handkerchief and handed it over. Daniel Carter raised his eyebrows, smile spreading to his lips, "You kept it." Recalling the earlier blunder, my smile was a bit forced as I looked up at him, "It’s your personal item; I can’t dispose of it at will." "I’m surprised you even remember who gave it to you; given the situation, I thought you’d be completely flustered." Thinking of the disgrace at the wedding, my expression was somewhat embarrassed, my smile bitter, "I was indeed flustered then; I had never cried in front of so many people." "Adrian Gordon is blind; don’t dwell on it too much." "Mm, thank you for your comfort." I smiled gratefully and raised the handkerchief again, "I’ve washed it clean, returning it to you." "No need. I don’t ever take back things I give away. If you don’t want it, just toss it." I was taken aback, frowning slightly as I looked at him. Could it be that he has a cleanliness obsession, finding the handkerchief distasteful after someone else handled it? Daniel Carter looked at me, likely reading something in my expression, and promptly explained, "Don’t misunderstand, it’s not out of distaste." Before he finished speaking, a suit-clad young man approached, "President Carter, we need to depart." Daniel Carter nodded, slightly raising his hand, signaling for me to continue walking with him. I couldn’t persist about the handkerchief, so I had to put it back in my hand. Yet the more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed. A grown man leaving me with a handkerchief embroidered with his surname... This feeling, why does it seem somewhat like a token of affection? My thoughts in a whirl, something suddenly crossed my mind. "By the way, Mr. Carter, I’m curious why you were at the wedding that day? Together, the Miller Family and Gordon Family don’t have enough status to invite you." Daniel Carter’s gaze was deep, seemingly recalling, "That day... pure coincidence." "Coincidence?" I was puzzled, but before I could inquire further, we had reached the parking lot. "Miss Miller, we’re peers, no need for formal address toward me, it makes me seem old."