He ate quickly and seemed to enjoy the meal. He smiled at me and said, "Yum! This is the best lunch I've had so far. Thank you, Ms. Chloe."I smiled without saying anything, feeling like this man was beating around the bush too much.After finishing the meal, he checked the time and stood up. "It looks like it's time for your meeting soon. I won't disturb you any longer, Ms. Chloe. Thanks for the lunch. How about we have dinner together another day?"I nodded. "Sure, provided I have the time.""Great! I can wait until you're free," he said confidently. "I'll take my leave now. I believe we'll become friends, Ms. Chloe."He strode out of the small meeting room and left my office.Watching his departure, I couldn't help but mutter, "Who gave you such confidence?"Carol rushed in, reaching out to tidy up the utensils and curiously asking, "Is he gone?""Yeah," I absentmindedly responded.I was pondering Melvern's purpose in coming here. I reviewed our conversation, contemplating
"When he invested in Liora, it was a probing move. Didn't I tell you? He came back for revenge this time, and I'm his target."Think about it. He needs to figure out everything about the people around me. He won't give up on any clues. The current situation between Liora and me forces him to pay attention to her opponents. He's afraid I might have allies, especially someone like you."I found Atticus's words quite reasonable. "But one thing I can't figure out is how did he know we might have a connection?""That's not hard to find out. After all, we have some apparent cooperation," Atticus said casually.I chuckled. "True!""Would you and your husband join us for dinner tonight?" Atticus suggested."No, I can't make it tonight. I have some supplier issues that I can't delay. Another time, perhaps." I declined Atticus's invitation.I didn't ask him how he found out about my relationship with Atlas. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said, "You and your husband." These people are all sha
I sighed with a bitter smile. In the end, human relationships are all about using and being used.However, reflecting on the events surrounding Liora and the incident with Atticus, his assistance to me is indeed a drop in the ocean.No wonder Atlas has been observing Atticus's moves. It seemed that Atlas was my true behind-the-scenes support, the one manipulating the situation.Atlas was the one pulling the strings.I assumed that Atticus would never dare to act rashly against me. If Atlas wanted to push him into bankruptcy, it would only take a few minutes, and I believed that Atlas was capable of that.Judging from the fact that he could pocket such a big project in the capital, it was trivial for him to give up on a project in Rivendell.On top of that, I was in trouble at that time. Of course, he wouldn't let anyone succeed. He retreated in order to advance.That was the real reason why Atticus had always treated me differently. To be honest, Atticus has constantly scrutin
Annika smiled and said, "Myra has talked a lot about what you've done for our Charlie. How could he not remember you? We won't let him forget your kindness.""Alright, I'll go visit him one of these days! It's been quite a few days, and I miss him," I said.We chatted for a bit more before ending the call.Annika's words deeply affected me. Charlie had an ungrateful mom. Hopefully, the Reese family would raise him right and not let him turn out like his mother.I contemplated how to bring up the matter of testifying with Arton. It was a real dilemma. Convincing a father to accuse the mother of his child might not be an easy task.If not handled carefully, my intention of sending the child home to them might be misunderstood. I could be seen as having ulterior motives, and Arton might get entangled in the case, even though it was Matthew's crime.This made my head ache. I couldn't let a situation involving Matthew jeopardize the warmth Charlie had just regained.As I was lost in
I quickly stood up and walked away from my desk, warmly greeting Jordan. "Mr. Jordan, hello." I smiled, gesturing for him to take a seat, and asked Carol to bring water and coffee.I had heard from Eleanor that Jordan handed over the reins of Yorksen Doors to his son for health reasons. Seeing him, it was evident that his complexion wasn't great."Ms. Chloe, it's been a while. Sorry for the trouble." He was humble. But his son, Jesse, had an unpleasant and restrained expression. Even though they came to see me, it seemed like he wasn't too willing."You're being too polite. Please, have a seat." I gestured again.Jordan nervously sat on the sofa, glancing around my office. "This is quite a big change. I used to be very familiar with this office."He was trying to bridge the gap between us."Yeah. Time flies. It's been over ten years, and we've been working together for quite a while." I glanced at Jesse, who still looked displeased, inspecting my office. Perhaps he sensed t
As he gradually recovered, I began to state my reasons for not wanting to work with Jesse.I said, "His performance is just one aspect of this, Mr. Jordan. Our main focus is the high-end market for doors. Please don't worry too much about it."He nodded. "To be honest with you, my health is deteriorating. That's why I sought treatment. How could I let my unruly son take over?"He mentioned his health, confirming that it wasn't just a rumor."He’s been spoiled by his mother. He’s good at all kinds of frivolous things, but he doesn’t know how to do a thing when it comes to serious matters. It's unfortunate for our family." He sighed with a touch of sorrow.Then, he continued, "I originally planned to elevate our door business and gradually shift toward high-end doors. Businesses need constant progress and development, but my health just gave out. I have stomach cancer."As soon as the words left his mouth, my heart flipped."There’s no way I can realize my dreams now. I've come
I felt my heart drop when I heard that."Well, take care. Let's put it this way. You focus on recovering. If your health improves, we'll continue to collaborate on other small projects involving high-end doors." I painted a hopeful picture for him.I had to do this. I couldn't bear to see this strong man be so defeated.Sure enough, a hint of contentment appeared on his face. In reality, we both understood that this was just a verbal agreement. If his health didn't improve, our collaboration would naturally come to an end.Before saying goodbye, he said earnestly, "You're still young, Ms. Chloe. Health is wealth. Take good care of yourself. Don't push yourself too hard."These words, once spoken, became a motto etched deep in my heart, and a memory of Jordan.After I saw Jordan off, I was left with a heavy heart. It was clear that this man deserved respect, but all his dreams seemed destined to crumble because of his son.It was a tragic outcome.Carol reminded me that it was t
I withdrew my hand. "Mr. Vernon, you're too kind. Please, have a seat."Andrea kept her gaze on me, unmoving and unresponsive with an indifferent and distant demeanor. I didn't pay much attention to her.With her attitude, she really suited someone like Liora. It was no wonder they had become good friends.Eleanor then introduced another man, marketing manager at Surface Solutions. He was the one who had taken over Eleanor's position.As we took our seats, I asked Eleanor if she had ordered the food. However, Vernon quickly spoke up. "I've taken care of it, Ms. Chloe.""Since you're here, let's make ourselves at home," I said politely."Seeing is believing, and today we finally meet! What happened before was a misunderstanding, and fate led us to miss a good opportunity for collaboration. I hope we’ll be able to have a good chat this time."Vernon looked at me, eager to get to the point. It was clear he genuinely wanted to collaborate. This wasn't surprising. Surface Solutio