My heart tightened abruptly. I thought to myself that fate really had a twisted sense of humor. Hugo and I had managed to cross paths so unexpectedly in the vast city of Solaris, of all places.Four or five years had passed, but he was still the same. He wore a sinister expression that masked itself with a smiling facade, like a tiger with a deceptive grin.But suddenly, he dropped the mask, revealing his true colors.I maintained my composure and looked at him coolly.Ardie sensed that something was amiss and glanced at me. "What's wrong?""Nothing," I replied indifferently.Hugo suddenly smirked maliciously, "What do you mean, 'nothing’? Looks like you’re still very composed after repeatedly meddling in my affairs. ‘Nothing’? You're very confident, Ms. Chloe. What gave you the audacity to do all this?"I looked at him with a cold smile on my face. "You’re involved in all sorts of shady dealings. Of course I’m confident in what I do."I had never been one to mince words, espec
I dialed the number, and Fred answered immediately. "Ms. Chloe. Are you in Solaris?""Yeah.""Let's meet up. How long are you staying here?" Fred asked eagerly."I have to go back tomorrow morning. We need to meet, and we have... two hours." I checked the time and added, "You can come to my location. We can meet at a coffee shop.""Send me your location, I'll be right there. I’m heading down now," Fred said before ending the call.I sent him my location.Grayson entered my office and asked, "Are you leaving, Chloe?""I have some other business to attend to tonight, so I'll leave tomorrow morning. Can you book a flight for me around 10 am tomorrow?" Grayson served as my assistant here.I nodded, "Noon will be fine too. I have to do something with Ava in the afternoon, and I can't be late, or she'll give me a hard time."Grayson promptly went to make the arrangements.Ryan stayed to join the project's follow-up work planning meeting.Half an hour later, Fred appeared in the co
I looked at Fred and had to interrupt him.I continued apologetically, "To be honest with you, Hartz has established a foothold in Solaris. My projects in Foswood with Tanum are going smoothly, and the several projects I have on hand are very substantial. I had initially planned to work alongside you, but..."I glanced at him, feeling a little reluctant, but there were certain things that needed to be addressed."As you know, I don't want to be constantly surrounded by invisible crises. If my projects are affected by your issues with Hugo, I won't be able to explain myself. Do you understand?" I stared directly at Fred.His pale face was filled with pain, and his forehead was covered in fine sweat.He was only in his forties, but he looked older than his peers.In fact, he was an outstanding man who was fully dedicated to his career. The development and research of steel windows had placed him at the forefront of the industry. But his home was in turmoil because of his half-broth
He contemplated for a moment, but before he could respond, a call from Ardie came in, informing me that he was on his way to pick me up.With that, Fred and I had to conclude our conversation. We walked out of the coffee shop together, and he extended his hand toward me, his tone now more affirmative. "I'll make the arrangements and visit Foswood soon. We can talk more then.""Great, I'll be waiting for you in Foswood. We were kind of in a rush today," I responded.As we came downstairs, Ardie arrived.I asked Grayson to bring down my bag and told him to investigate Fred's situation thoroughly. After all, this issue with the windows was significant. I couldn't afford to overlook any hidden dangers with Urban Builders; otherwise, everything could be compromised, posing a danger to the project.I secretly felt fortunate that I met Fred today, which had allowed me to discover the ongoing internal struggle within his company that had not yet subsided.In the car, Ardie said, "Arnold
I was thoroughly amused by their quirky reasoning and almost breathless from laughter.Arnold was so excited that he seemed ready to fly back immediately."So, when are you coming back?" I asked, as I managed to regain control of myself.I knew he was coming back to take over the business this time, as he had talked about ending things on that end. Arnold had declared that he wouldn’t leave again after he came back, since Grandma Rose was getting old and needed to retire."You can call me anytime. You just need to say, 'Little bro, I need you back now.' and I'll rush straight to the airport." He imitated a girl's voice mischievously, like a big kid.I chuckled and corrected him, "I'm your sister.""Okay, sis." After addressing me sweetly, he complained, "What's the point of being a sister? That’s such a silly title."I bit my lip, and suddenly, Arnold said, "By the way, I heard Denton’s coming back to the country too."That caught me off guard, and I immediately suppressed my l
Ardie nodded, speaking gently, "Yeah. He was always taken care of by our grandmother. At the time, she had to run the business while taking care of him, which was quite tough.""She is really capable. Ardie, Grandma Rose is my idol. The first time I saw her, I wanted to get close to her," I said without hiding my admiration."Yeah. Grandma is great. Because Arnold was small, we always pampered him. He still does whatever he wants now.""Arnold is very clever. He's very wise when judging people and situations. In the future, he should be a good successor." I praised."Our family business is already well-established, and there haven't been any major setbacks. Even if he continues like this, it's enough for him to enjoy." Ardie explained."But actually, he has good business acumen. Although he's not as steady as Atlas, who plans and executes meticulously, he has a discerning eye. Do you know what he likes?" Ardie looked at me and asked.I was curious, "What does he like?""He likes
When we entered the courtyard, I discovered it was surprisingly large and elegantly designed. Despite its appearance from the outside, the courtyard inside resembled a palace. It was complete with pavilions, towers, and gardens.I whispered to Ardie, "This place is so beautiful, like a palace."His eyes lit up as he looked at me. "You're smart. This was originally a palace that was purchased by someone who treated it as a cultural relic. He spent a considerable amount each year to preserve its beauty."I sighed, "No wonder it's so beautiful. The preservation efforts are impressive."Ardie chuckled. "Exactly. This place is not open to the public. Very few people can enter."This made me even more careful, following him closely and observing every detail. After all, who knew if I would have the chance to come here again?Ardie led me to a small courtyard within the larger compound, and the interior decoration perfectly matched the overall style of the courtyard.As we entered a ro
Mr. Gordon waved at me and didn't say much, indicating that I should sit beside him."May I check your pulse?" Mr. Gordon asked.Perplexed, I looked at the old man. He nodded persistently and pointed to the chair, insisting on examining my pulse.Jason quickly said to me, "Mr. Gordon is a divine doctor. You better let him check you out. He rarely comes out of seclusion. We need to wait until someone declares giving up treatment before we can ask for his examination. Girl, you're blessed. Even Mr. Gordon favors you."Upon Jason's introduction, I learned that Gordon was a doctor. If he was called a divine doctor, his medical skills must be exceptional.I didn’t want to be rude, so I sat in front of him, placing my hands on the table in front of him.Without a word, he extended his hand, lightly placing his fingers on my pulse and silently observing my face.The others quickly sat down while keeping their voices down, afraid of disturbing Gordon.Feeling nervous, I wondered why Go