?<strong>Chapter 869:</strong>


    The waiter stiffened slightly under her gaze but quicklyposed himself, offering a well-practiced exnation.


    “It was poured earlier to aerate, ma’am. Fine wines like this need time to breathe—it enhances the vor. Standard practice for premium selections.”


    Carrie frowned slightly. Before she could dwell on it, Mr. Singh picked up the decanter himself. With effortless grace, he poured a rich, deep red liquid into a ss and gave it a slow swirl.


    “You may not know this, Ms. Campbell, but this particr wine needs six hours of aeration to reach its peak.”


    The light hit the ss just right, making the wine shimmer like a ruby. Mr. Singh lifted it to his nose, inhaling deeply before taking a slow, appreciative sip.


    “Ah… ripe ckcurrant, with undertones of pear and the faintest trace of tobo.”


    As he ced his ss down, he instinctively reached for another. But before he could, the waiter moved first, smoothly handing him a ss from the edge of the cart.


    Mr. Singh didn’t seem to notice. He poured another ss and held it out to Carrie, his eyes expectant.


    “Go on, give it a try. It’s quite light on alcohol.”


    At this point, refusing would make things awkward. She could already imagine the unspoken thoughts in the room—She can’t even share a simple drink?


    So, with a polite smile, she epted the ss and took a sip.


    The moment the liquid touched her tongue, her brows knitted together.


    There was a bitter edge to it, something that felt off. But when she looked up, she kept her expression neutral, schooling her features into a faint, pleasant smile.


    “I’m no wine expert, so I can’t really pick up on all the subtle vors… but it does taste quite good.”


    In fact, she didn’t taste any of the things Mr. Singh had described. No ckcurrant. No pear. No tobo. Just a lingering, unfamiliar bitterness.


    But then again, she wasn’t exactly a wine connoisseur. She had tried cocktails before that had a bitter finish, even with fruit juice mixed in. Maybe that was just how high-end wines tasted.


    She really didn’t need to say much. It was just a sip.


    Mr. Singhughed heartily, setting his ss down.


    “That’s exactly why I like working with people like you! Nothing worse than someone pretending to know what they don’t. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, not overanalyzed with fancy terms.”


    He downed the rest of his wine in one gulp.


    “I can’t stand all those wine-tasting theatrics. If it’s good, just drink it.”


    Carrie followed suit, finishing off her ss and setting it back on the cart. That was when she caught the waiter staring at her.


    His gaze lingered a beat too long. Something about it made her skin prickle. But she quickly shook it off.


    She was used to being looked at—she had been since she was young. And ever since entering the entertainment industry, stares had be a constant.


    Probably just another admirer.


    So, she let it go. For now.


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