Cynthia felt a twinge of pity for Zayn. Of all the people to antagonize, he had to choose the Captain. Matthew made no move to step away from Cynthia. He opened his contact list and dialed a young coach's number right there in the study. "Ladies and gentlemen, Zayn's raucous laughter is now on air. Did you enjoy the custom tune I had set for you?" he gloated. Matthew had activated the speaker. "Enjoying yourself, aren't you?" "Why, you could always beg me over a nice meal, apologize sincerely, and admit your mistake. Then I might have someone restore your phone to its former glory. Otherwise, consider your phone a goner." Matthew kept silent, waiting for Zayn to finish his grandstanding. "Just a friendly reminder, this virus isn't going anywhere, not even if you reset your phone," Zayn was still gloating. In his mind, Matthew had probably removed the SIM card and placed it in a different phone to call him. The possibility that someone could actually fix it never occurred to h
"What's there to listen to? At your age, you have no girlfriend, and all you do is eat and drink at my expense, and you dare provoke me," Mrs. Green was relentless in her pursuit, adamant to set him straight. "I'm innocent!" Zayn was hopping and jumping around the living room. "Hahaha!" An identical voice resounded from his phone, mocking him with laughter. Zayn knew perfectly well that Matthew had set him up. He slammed his phone onto the floor to avoid angering his mother further, shattering it into pieces. Thankfully, the voice stopped. He exhaled a heavy breath, grateful that there was nothing significant on his phone. "Mom, I..." Smack! The feather duster landed on his body. Zayn hopped up, his comical facial expression distorted in pain. "Ouch!" His hair flopped down over his forehead as he winced. "You dare break things in front of me?" Mrs. Green swung the duster at him again. Zayn knew his mother's temper all too well; the best strategy now was to admit his
"We met at a nightclub in Jiverton. It was right after my mom passed away. I was feeling down and went to Jiverton to clear my head. That's where I bumped into him," Cynthia revealed, not feeling the need to hide anything. There was an undercurrent of heartache in Matthew's eyes, undetectable to anyone but himself. He prompted her to go on. "And then?" "I had a couple of drinks, and we started talking," she recalled. Cynthia still remembered their conversation that night. "We found that we shared the same values, and he was knowledgeable about so many things. Plus, he was handsome. So, when he proposed, I agreed." Joshua, at that time, had seemed perfect. He was good-looking, fit, well-educated, and held the same values as hers. Even after their marriage, he had always been extremely patient and gentle with her. He spent most of his time traveling for work or working overtime, but if he made a promise, he would keep it, no matter how busy he was. Facing such a person, she had
Yet, his current confusion outweighed his fear. "Cut the crap. Who cleaned the virus off your computer? What's going on?" "Payback," was all Matthew said. "You're such a petty jerk. Don't tempt me to tell that girl about you the next time I see her..." Zayn grumbled. Matthew cut the call and put his phone on silent. He did not want to risk Cynthia hearing anything that might give her a reason to avoid him. After Matthew ended the call, Cynthia assumed the conversation had concluded and did not think much more of it. Matthew was relieved that he had not been on the speaker. If Cynthia had overheard, she might start doubting him. Later that evening, Cynthia returned home. Left alone on his couch, Matthew started to ponder over how he could possibly win Cynthia over. Cynthia was not really sensitive to these subtle hints. After the day's events, she had not given much thought to them. As soon as she got home, she went to rest. She had considered calling Sean to inquire about
Cynthia nodded, getting straight to the point. "How is Matthew doing at the company?" "He's doing well," Moe responded briefly. This surprised Cynthia. Getting a compliment out of Moe was no small feat. "And what would you say are his strengths?" she asked. Upon hearing this, Moe glanced at Cynthia, his expression one of hesitation. Cynthia sat calmly, noticing his reluctance to speak, "What is it?" "I think he would make a good leader. He has performed excellently in the tasks assigned to him, shows unique insight, has a broad perspective, and has not made any mistakes," Moe, after a moment of consideration, shared his opinion. "I see," Cynthia murmured. It seemed Captain was indeed good at everything. Moe quietly waited for her to continue without rushing her. "In that case, let him handle some of the subsidiaries independently. If he proves capable, consider assigning him a role in one of the subsidiaries," Cynthia instructed. "Understood," Moe agreed. In Cynthia
"He felt that the difference in our family backgrounds was too large, creating a great deal of pressure for him. He also mentioned that his friends accused him of being a 'kept man'. He did not like the imbalance in our relationship, so he suggested we break up," Riley spoke openly about the situation. Both Gaby and Cynthia were a bit perplexed. They thought love was about being together if you liked each other, right? "Your boyfriend was quite foolish. When encountering friends like that, he should have retorted with something like, 'You wish you had the chance to be a kept man'," Alex remarked casually, clearly unbothered by the issue. "It's not necessarily that simple. Some men have a strong sense of self-esteem. If their girlfriend's family is wealthier, they might feel inferior," Linus said. At Linus's words, Cynthia faltered for a moment, her mind wandering to Captain, whom Mitchell had mentioned. "So, would you guys feel the same?" she asked, seizing the opportunity.
"Other employees bringing breakfast for the boss is normal. But Captain, ask yourself, was your intention of bringing breakfast to Cyn really innocent? You haven't forgotten about that time you gave me a bottle of water and made me run ten kilometers carrying weights, have you?" Alex chimed in. "I also remember the time you brought me food and tripled my training," Linus added. Matthew, seemingly unconcerned, sat there, a challenging undertone in his voice, "Are you criticizing me?" Alex and Linus were taken aback. Damn, they walked right into a trap. "So, are you really going to give Cyn a hard time?" Riley concluded. Before Matthew could respond, Cynthia, who had been listening to their conversation in a dazed state, suddenly sat up. With slightly unfocused eyes, she looked over at him and asked in a soft voice, "Captain, didn't you promise not to hold a grudge? How can you go back on your word?" Perhaps because she was still under the influence of alcohol, her voice and
Everything clicked into place for the group. "You knew all along?" Linus asked. "Don't discuss this with Cyn. Neither help nor hinder. Especially you two," Mitchell advised, paying special attention to Riley and Gaby. Everyone knew how close Riley and Gaby were to Cynthia. They were as close as could be. Without warning, they might turn around and spill everything to Cynthia, who would probably avoid Captain if she knew his feelings. "Captain really kept his feelings well hidden." Riley sighed, feeling reassured. "He must have had feelings for Cyn even before he retired, right? When did it start?" "I don't know," replied Mitchell truthfully. No one knew when Captain had started having feelings for Cynthia. Captain was a person who clearly distinguished between public and private matters. Even when he was in training and obviously had feelings for Cynthia, he never went easy on her. On further thought, it seemed perfectly reasonable. "Indeed, that's a relief. No one wou