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Chapter 45
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Not Your Second Choice Chapter 46
"When I asked earlier, this was what the boss specifically instructed," Joe said, invoking the authority of the big boss. What else could Casey say? She snorted coldly, her eyes narrowing as she glared.Deidre, on the other hand, looked surprised—though the surprise quickly gave way to delight. Deep down, she had indeed been curious about the tone and feel of that exclusive guitar, the one displayed in the glass case, marked "Not for Sale."The moment she entered the shop, her gaze had been drawn to it. On impulse, she had casually mentioned borrowing it, never expecting her request to actually be granted. Now, as her fingers brushed against the strings, the sound that resonated stunned her. It was a vibration that struck straight to her heart—a feeling so profound it defied description.What a remarkable guitar this was.Deidre, skilled as she was with the instrument, always felt a special attachment to exceptional ones. Her expression softened as she pulled out a chair and sa
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 47
Meanwhile, at the Landon family residence.Yesterday's international conference call had dragged on until almost four in the morning.Micah, having slept in to recover, washed up, changed into his casual outdoor clothes, and came downstairs. His gaze swept across the living room, landing on Casey and their mother sitting on the sofa. The atmosphere between them was peculiar.Normally, whenever Micah saw his mother and sister together, they would be chatting about something or other. But today was different.The enormous television in the living room was off, and neither woman turned to acknowledge him as he descended the stairs. They sat with their backs to him.Curious, Micah strolled closer. From his vantage point, he noticed Casey holding her phone horizontally, the screen propped up between her and their mother. The phone's display was lit, and the sound—neither loud nor soft—trickled into the room.As he neared, Micah caught the distinct notes of a guitar performance emana
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 48
Nine times out of ten, men always tend to linger on what they can't have.After all, anyone who cared to ask would know that in the past seven years, Micah had never been involved with another woman."Someone with her background dares to dream of marrying into a wealthy family?"Mrs. Landon's gaze was cold, as if it had been tempered by ice. There was no attempt to mask her disdain, only a sharp-edged rejection. "Utterly delusional!""She wouldn't," Micah said, breaking the silence. His voice was low, calm, unshaken.Despite the certainty with which Casey and Mrs. Landon claimed that Deidre's return to Salve City had something to do with him, Micah didn't think so.He recalled their reunion at the business banquet and their second encounter outside Half-past Five Bar. Deidre's attitude towards him bore no trace of unresolved feelings.Micah, ever polite and refined, had long been surrounded by women vying for his attention. He understood all too well the glances of admiration an
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 49
In the southern part of the bustling Salve City commercial district, Sandy drove her Porsche right up to the entrance of Building C and stopped.The security guard, upon recognizing her car, especially the license plate, hurried over with a deferential air.Sandy stepped out, handing the car keys to the guard. "Park it for me, thanks. But wait a moment first.""You're too kind, Miss Mallark," the guard replied, bowing slightly as he accepted the keys.As Sandy exited, Deidre unfastened her seatbelt in the passenger seat, leaning out gracefully before stepping down.Sandy circled around to the back seat, opening the door to retrieve the guitar inside. But before she could reach for it, Deidre had already picked it up."You're treating this like treasure and won't even let me carry it?" Sandy teased."Of course. I went through quite the trouble to borrow this," Deidre replied, raising her eyebrows slightly. Then, with a small smile directed at the guard, she said, "You can go ahea
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 50
"It's not slander."Deidre turned off the tablet screen in her hand, her face calm, almost indifferent. "The report is accurate. I did hit someone. And yes, I am indeed the bride who was dumped at that wedding seven years ago. These are all facts."Sandy was momentarily speechless."No way! Someone is clearly targeting you. I have to find out who's behind this smear campaign!""There's no need," Deidre replied firmly. "I can pretty much guess who's stirring things up."Her gaze was steady as she looked at Sandy. "Relax. I'm not part of the entertainment industry, and fortunately, they didn't get a clear shot of your face. These trending headlines don't affect me. Now that the Decker family is involved, you won't have to do anything. They'll be in a hurry to suppress the public outcry themselves.""The Decker family?" Sandy's voice dropped as she leaned closer, suspicion written all over her face. "Who exactly did you hit?""Neil, the fourth son of the Decker family.""What—" Sa
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 51
The two exchanged a quick glance, their smiles faint and fleeting, before turning back toward the elevator.Justin hesitated as he noticed the composed expressions on both Sandy and Deidre's faces. Uncertain, he asked cautiously, "Miss Mallark, should we still investigate this?""No need," Sandy replied flatly as the elevator doors slid open. She stepped inside with Deidre."Why are you just standing there? Get in," Sandy added, holding the "open" button and motioning for Justin to follow."Ah, right!" Justin jolted to attention and hurried into the elevator.The ride was swift. When the elevator doors opened on the training floor, the three exited together."Justin, keep an eye on the trending topics online, especially the comments and their direction," Sandy instructed seriously. "If anything starts to go off course, let me know immediately."Deidre, walking beside her, heard everything. She knew Sandy's concern was for her, but she couldn't muster any interest in the trending
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 52
"That incident has escalated?"Larry sounded surprised. "The surveillance footage from the bar wasn't released. How could photos have gotten out?"He doubted any random bystander would be reckless enough to provoke the Decker family by leaking those images online. The way public opinion was being guided online reeked of calculated intent, not coincidence."I've reviewed the photos circulating online," the bar manager said, his tone cautious. "Judging by the angles, they were taken up close. My guess is someone who came with Miss Landon snapped them on their phone at the time."That made things trickier.Larry frowned and cast a glance toward the closed conference room door. "Alright, I get it. Keep stalling on your end. Don't let any reporters into the bar for interviews. I'll bring this to the boss's attention."Ending the call, Larry remained seated, his gaze lingering on the door as his thoughts churned.He vividly recalled Benedict's demeanor when they encountered Deidre at
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 53
"Gabriel, let's wrap up here for today. I'll review the proposed contract changes and get back to you later," Benedict said."Alright," came Gabriel Augustin's response.The video conference ended swiftly. As the screen went dark, Benedict's voice cut through the room with a calm authority, "What happened?""Your phone rang earlier. It was the bar manager. He mentioned Deidre's appearance on the trending searches online.""Trending searches?" Benedict's brow shifted slightly as he raised his hand. "Give me the phone."Larry promptly handed over the device, his tone steady as he relayed his impressions of the situation. "Sir, this reeks of manipulation. It's almost certainly the work of hired trolls."Benedict's gaze locked onto the phone screen, his fingers scrolling through the flood of comments. One by one, he read them, the darkness in his eyes deepening into a cold, unfathomable hue."They've invested quite a bit of money in this. The effort is obvious," he said, his voice
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Not Your Second Choice Chapter 100
"YOU!"Daisy watched the atmosphere between the two shift. As she saw Micah stand up, she put on a look of feigned concern and hurried over. After all, the president of the Landon Group had just been knocked down by the assistant of a competitor—certainly not a dignified event."Deidre, I finally found you! Mr. O'Reily called me earlier, said he had something urgent to discuss with you, but couldn't reach you."Daisy had only made up an excuse. When it came to Micah, using Benedict's name was the most legitimate tactic.Unexpectedly, as she spoke, Deidre's phone rang.Daisy's eyelids twitched and she instinctively looked over.And there it was...Caller ID: It really was Mr. O'Reily.Daisy turned speechless. She could probably win the lottery today, with this luck!With Daisy present, Micah knew he couldn't continue the conversation with Deidre.In fact, even without Daisy, the discussion wouldn't have gone anywhere.Micah's handsome face regained its calm demeanor. The prev
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 99
"I'm not drunk," Micah said.Deidre didn't reply. His face was serious, but his eyes—behind those frameless glasses—held a slight haze, as if they were blurring into a soft kind of fog.After spending two years with him, Deidre knew very well that Micah was, in fact, drunk. A sober person couldn't possibly argue with someone who was so clearly intoxicated, especially not over something so trivial as whether or not they were drunk.She glanced at the door to her room, which Micah was blocking, then turned away.On a luxurious yacht like this, it was ridiculous for all the rooms to be occupied. She could easily switch rooms. Even if they were all taken, she could squeeze in with Daisy for one night.In any case, Deidre had no intention of wasting another word on Micah."Don't go!"Micah, seeing her intention, stepped forward. His arm reached out and grabbed her wrist."Are you going to find Cameron?"With a forceful pull, he turned her back toward him, his hands gripping her s
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 98
Deidre paused for a moment, quickly tapped the send button on her phone, then shut off the screen and set it aside. She smiled at Daisy, signaling for her to sit beside her. "I know, I owe you one for helping me out with Mr. O'Reily on the dance floor."Daisy, still looking a bit shaken, leaned in close to Deidre's ear and whispered, "God knows, just dancing with Mr. O'Reily was enough to make my scalp tingle in shock. And then he had that cold, deathly stare... I mean, he's handsome, but I guess they don't call him 'The Godfather' for nothing. After just a short dance, I was practically shoved away."Deidre, ever considerate, gently patted Daisy's back to reassure her. "Once this seven-day yacht trip is over, I'll treat you to a big meal.""Not that I'm just looking to freeload off your dinner, Deidre!" Daisy laughed. "I mean, getting to dance with a handsome guy—can't complain."Daisy, a post-2000s girl, had the natural optimism and straightforwardness typical of her generation.
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 97
"I can tell, Bobby, that your company is sincere in wanting to collaborate with us on this project. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."Benedict's deep voice broke the silence, pulling the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Bobby, you know, of course, that the Dobinsky project is intended for our technology city. Now, as for the five percent price increase you proposed, I will say this clearly: Such a concession agreement is not something we can sign."Upon hearing this, Bobby's heart sank, though he maintained his composure on the surface. "Benedict, wouldn't you reconsider? After all, the returns from the technology city once it's completed will be substantial."In business negotiations, attention to detail is key, especially when it comes to reading the room. Both Benedict and Deidre had picked up on the subtle shift in Bobby's demeanor. The calm confidence he had initially shown was now replaced by a quiet sense of urgency.Once the defensive line begi
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 96
Benedict swirled the wine glass in his hand, his gaze not meeting Bobby's. His voice was cool. "I can tell, Bobby, there's more to your words than what you're letting on.""Benedict, as expected of you," Bobby's smile deepened. "You must know, when the Dobinsky project first went to bid, Veilner Corp didn't make the cut. The Landon Group took the lead. Now, as we approach the second round of bidding, although your company's proposal is the best, it's a bit tricky for us."In business, there are ways to say things. Sometimes, the true meaning lies not in the direct words, but in the subtle layers beneath them. Bobby's words were clear enough. He was asking if Veilner could increase its offer, especially in terms of the price.Deidre's eyes glinted as she glanced at Benedict.His fingers tapped softly on the armrest of the sofa, his expression unchanged, but the faintest sound of his knuckles brushing against the wood seemed to fill the air. His voice remained calm and measured. "T
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 95
The tempo slowed and finally returned to silence as the dance came to an end. The men and women in the ballroom nodded to each other in mutual respect.Benedict, with a cold and composed expression on his handsome face, stepped out of the dance floor without a word.Deidre raised an eyebrow and was about to follow him when she heard Micah's voice from behind. "Do you hate me?"She turned back to see Micah looking at her with a deep gaze. The question struck her as absurd. "Mr. Landon, you have quite the short memory. Who was it that looked at me with disdain at the wedding, dropped me without a word, and walked away without a second glance? And now you're asking me this?"Some things, Deidre thought, if left untouched, would fade away with time. She was certain that given enough time, everything, even the most painful memories, would eventually be forgotten. Yet, there were always people who took great pleasure in reminding her of the moments she wished to forget.Especially when
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 94
Deidre smiled wryly to herself. The music lifted in tempo once again, forcing her, though unwilling, to raise her hand and follow the rhythm in a solitary spin.As she twirled, her eyes quickly flicked toward Cameron.Cameron was waiting for the beat, planning to reclaim his partner.Micah maintained his gentle, composed smile, but there was a chill in his eyes. He hadn't missed the subtle exchange of glances between Deidre and Cameron. No, he had been watching closely, noting exactly where Deidre's gaze had lingered.She was flirting with him again, right in front of him.So she wanted to switch back?A sliver of coldness flashed in Micah's eyes.He knew very well—he didn't want her to switch back.As Cameron neared them, preparing to take Deidre away, Micah intentionally took a misstep, stepping into Cameron's path.Both Deidre and Cameron understood immediately what this meant.Deidre's smile remained, her tone gentle, but her eyes burned with a cold gleam.She couldn't w
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 93
The waltz gradually shifted from its gentle rhythm to an upbeat tempo, unveiling its inherent charm and complexity.Micah's gaze didn't linger on Natalie. He maintained perfect synchronization with her steps, seamlessly adapting to the beat, while his eyes discreetly swept toward Deidre again. Around them, most dancers had begun showcasing their partners, spinning them gracefully across the floor.Matching the tempo, Micah maneuvered with subtle precision, guiding Natalie closer to Deidre and Cameron without breaking stride.Deidre, no fool, couldn't possibly miss Micah's frequent glances in her direction. She smirked inwardly, instantly grasping his intent. He was moving their way.The music surged, and following Cameron's lead, Deidre executed an elegant pirouette. Her red evening gown, delicate as butterfly wings, flared into cascading waves of crimson, drawing all eyes to her. Her movement was mesmerizing, a perfect harmony of grace and poise.Cameron's face held its usual g
Not Your Second Choice Chapter 92
"Ah…" Natalie gasped softly as her hand was enveloped by Micah's warm, steady grasp. Her cheeks flushed, her heartbeat quickening like a drumroll, as she followed him into the dance floor.Within the crowd, Deidre stood out effortlessly in a custom-made crimson gown. Her movements flowed seamlessly with the rhythm, rising and falling with the melody, her figure spinning gracefully like a fiery phoenix in flight. Opposite her, Cameron, equally striking with his sharp features and composed demeanor, lifted his long, elegant hand to guide Deidre through a perfect turn. A gentle, unguarded smile lingered in his eyes."I remember back in school dances, you always attended with Sandy," Cameron remarked, his deep voice carrying an air of teasing admiration. "But I don't recall ever seeing you dance. Seems like you've been keeping this talent hidden all along."A faint smile curved Deidre's lips. "If you keep looking at me with such a gentle expression, I'm afraid I might misstep." She fi
