“Star Entertainment.”
The instant those two words reached Leonardo’s ears, something flashed through his dark eyes.
Jasmine.
She had mentioned that company this morning. She had gone there for an interview.
His fingers stopped tapping.
Marcel noticed the unusual silence. “What?”
Leonardo looked at him calmly. “Transfer it to me.”
The room fell completely quiet.
Marcel blinked. “What?”
“I’ll buy it.”
Marcel stared at him as though he had misheard. “You want Star Entertainment?”
Leonardo gave a slight nod. “I’ll pay market value.”
Marcel burst into laughter. “You actually want to snatch my acquisition?”
Leonardo stood without answering. “I’m not snatching it.” His deep voice remained indifferent. “I’m buying it.”
Marcel clicked his tongue. “You’ve never cared about entertainment companies before.”
Leonardo adjusted the cuff of his black shirt. “I do now.”
The answer only deepened everyone’s curiosity.
One of the men leaned forward.
“Don’t tell me King Group suddenly wants to enter show business.”
Leonardo neither confirmed nor denied it.
He simply walked toward the exit.
Bruno immediately followed.
Just before leaving, Leonardo stopped without turning around. “Send the valuation to my office.”
Then he disappeared through the door.
Silence lingered for several seconds.
Marcel slowly lowered his glass. “What the hell was that about?”
The remaining men exchanged puzzled looks.
“No idea.”
“I’ve known Leonardo for over ten years. I’ve never seen him randomly buy a company.”
Marcel frowned thoughtfully. “Especially one this small.”
One of them laughed. “Maybe he suddenly developed a hobby.”
Marcel snorted. “Leonardo doesn’t have hobbies.”
Another added jokingly, “He barely is human.”
The room erupted with quiet laughter.
***********
Meanwhile at Star Entertainment, the expensive conference table was covered with untouched tea and neatly arranged acquisition documents.
Dante Esteban glanced at the antique wall clock for what felt like the hundredth time.
Two hours.
Marcel Ortega was now over two hours late. Dante’s patience had almost completely evaporated.
His assistant stood nervously beside him.
“President Esteban... perhaps Mr. Ortega has been delayed?”
Dante’s jaw tightened. “Delayed?” He let out a cold laugh. “If he wanted to cancel, he could’ve said so.”
He looked at his watch again.
Nothing.
No call.
No explanation.
His fingers drummed impatiently against the polished table.
Finally, he pulled out his mobile phone. His thumb hovered over Jasmine’s number.
She still hadn’t answered any of his previous calls.
His expression darkened, then he inserted another SIM card into a second phone before dialing her number.
The ringtone echoed. Once. Twice. Three times. Then the call disconnected.
He frowned.
Immediately he dialed again, this time a cold mechanical voice greeted him.
“The number you have dialed cannot be reached.”
His expression froze, he quickly checked the screen.
She had blocked him again?!
Without even confirming who was calling first?!
For several long seconds, Dante simply stared at the phone.
What the hell was her problem?!
“Go get me another SIM card.”
“Okay.” The assistant hurried toward the door.
Before he could leave, Dante’s phone rang.
He answered absentmindedly. “What?”
A cheerful male voice came from the other end.
“Dante! I wanted to keep this a secret but I’m just too excited. She must have already given it to you by now, right?”
Dante rubbed his temples and stared at the caller ID.
It was Tristan, a friend of his who was into jewelry making.
“What are you talking about?”
“She’s yet to give you. Perhaps she’s nervous? Maybe if I tell you, you could figure out a way to let her know you’re okay with her proposing.”
Now, he was really confused. “What’s this about?”
“Jasmine. She came to my jewelry shop recently. I think she isn’t aware that we’re friends.”
Dante instantly sat upright. “What did you say?”
“She had two rings made.”
His heartbeat quickened. “What?!”
The designer chuckled knowingly. “I think she’s going to propose to you.”
Dante’s eyes slowly widened. “Propose?”
“Yep. I already had it made and delivered to her. It had you two’s initials.”
A smile gradually spread across Dante’s handsome face.
The frustration that had been building for days suddenly disappeared.
His friend continued teasing; “You’re about to be a married man!”
Dante leaned back comfortably.
He knew she’d come around.
His smile became increasingly confident.
She was only acting stubborn but she always soften eventually.
After ending the call, Dante stared thoughtfully at the ceiling.
She was going to propose to him? Hmm, when would that be?
Jasmine had always been terrible at expressing herself. She had probably realized she’d overreacted during their argument and didn’t know how to resolve things now.
Blocking him...
Ignoring him...
Refusing to meet him...
It had all been a childish tantrum.
Now she was secretly preparing a proposal, his lips curved upward.
He knew her too well.
The assistant returned moments later.
“President Esteban, I’ve contacted someone about...”
“No need.”
The assistant blinked. “Sir?”
Dante slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“Forget the SIM card.”
The assistant looked confused. “But didn’t you...”
“I changed my mind.”
He folded his hands calmly. “She’ll contact me herself.”
The assistant didn’t understand. “President Esteban... are you certain?”
Dante smiled with absolute confidence. “Very.”
He leaned comfortably into his chair. “She’s just angry.”
The assistant nodded uncertainly. “If you say so.”
Dante chuckled. “I dated Jasmine for two years. I know exactly how she thinks.”
He remembered every occasion she’d become upset with him.
Every argument.
Every cold shoulder.
In the end, she always forgave him.
Always.
This time would be no different.
After all, she loved him too much.
Didn’t she?
He glanced at the acquisition documents spread before him.
Marcel Ortega still hadn’t arrived.
No worries, he had all the patience in the world now.
Soon enough, Jasmine would walk back into his life carrying the engagement ring she’d commissioned. She would apologize for overreacting. She would smile through her tears.
Perhaps she’d even kneel. The image amused him so much that he laughed quietly to himself.