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
Of course, I understood the underlying meaning in Vernon's words. Vernon was not as magnanimous as he was handsome. He was a master at schemes.The glance he gave Eleanor hinted that she should help him navigate this situation.When I saw this couple’s true colors, I immediately felt at ease.So that was why the previous collaboration with Matthew had been so unpredictable. I had little faith in Vernon as I saw him exploiting Eleanor like this.It seemed Eleanor had been captivated by his looks. It also made sense now that she had sold the company to him to help her father.I smiled and began. "A few days ago, Eleanor talked to me about the collaboration with Surface Solutions. Unfortunately, I had to go to the capital to deal with something urgent there, so I couldn't see you."Vernon quickly responded, "You're too kind, Ms. Chloe. We really want to work with Tanum, so we wanted to meet you no matter what."He looked at Eleanor and added, "I won't hide it from you. I had a priv
I smiled faintly. "You're right, Mr. Ricky. The information you provided was limited. But Eleanor has brought me the latest data, and she’s meticulously explained it to me."Eleanor has been very thoughtful. After all, when promoting your brand, you need to speak with your strongest offerings, don't you agree, Mr. Ricky? You have to show me your best! Otherwise, how can I figure out if I should work with you or not? If the product has no selling points, why should I collaborate?"My tone was assertive.I noticed that Vernon's expression soured a bit, but his displeasure seemed directed at their marketing manager.Rumor had it that this marketing manager was a relative of Andrea’s.Vernon asked Ricky, "Why didn't you bring all the latest information?"Then he looked at Eleanor. "Did you get the latest information?"Eleanor immediately responded, "I got it from Johnson, the marketing manager at Ardora. It should all be up to date."Andrea quickly spoke up to defend Ricky. "We can