Hearing Adrian Hawthorne’s words, the apologetic smile plastered on Charlotte Quinn’s face stiffened.
Her voice sounded somewhat strained.
“Leah…
Leah Sterling has her own career to pursue.
She no longer works for Cressida Corp.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Her career?
Playing with mud?”
Charlotte thought indignantly, “That’s called being a ceramic artist!
What do you mean, playing with mud?” She gritted her teeth.
Perhaps her drunken state wasn’t entirely to blame for cursing him out last night.
She had a strong urge to scream at him right now, too!
“Mr.
Hawthorne, capitalists aren’t the only ones who can have careers,” Charlotte said.
Adrian’s lips twitched in a mocking smirk.
“Then you can go find a non-capitalist to invest in your project.
It’s not as if I’m desperate to throw my money away.
Just think it over.
If there’s nothing else, you may leave.”
He lowered his eyes to the documents on his desk, not sparing Charlotte another glance.
Gritting her teeth, she turned and left the Hawthorne Group.
Leah Sterling had no idea what Charlotte had achieved during her meeting with Adrian.
Charlotte refused to tell her.
But ever since that day, Charlotte had been working herself to the bone, attending endless social engagements.
Out of the past five days, she had come home dead drunk on three.
Leah figured the negotiations hadn’t gone well.
She visited Cressida Corp, but even the secretary didn’t know the outcome of Charlotte’s trip to the Hawthorne Group.
However, the secretary did reveal that Charlotte’s recent desperate socializing was an attempt to secure investment for their project.
“I see,” Leah said.
She walked out of the secretary’s office and made a phone call.
It only rang twice before it was picked up.
Robert Rhodes’s voice came through the receiver.
“Good afternoon, Mrs.
Hawthorne.”
“Is Adrian Hawthorne in?” Leah asked.
“I need to talk to him about something.”
“You can come straight to the company, Mrs.
Hawthorne.
Mr.
Hawthorne’s meeting will end shortly.”
Leah took a taxi to the Hawthorne Group.
In their five years of marriage, she had rarely visited this place.
She had been here a few times when they first got married, but over the past two years, she had barely set foot in the building.
It was only natural that the receptionist didn’t recognize her.
“I’m sorry, but without an appointment, I can’t let you up.”
Leah dialed Robert’s number again, but this time, no one answered.
Biting her lip, she had no choice but to wait in the lobby.
She took a seat on a sofa in the waiting area, pulling out her tablet and stylus to sketch out a draft for a new piece.
She had just finished the line art when the sharp, crisp clicking of high heels echoed across the lobby.
Leah looked up and saw Wendy Scott approaching the reception desk, murmuring a few words to the receptionist.
The same receptionist who had been strictly business with Leah now offered Wendy a respectful smile, gesturing politely toward the elevators.
Wendy stepped into the elevator.
Just as the doors were closing, she lifted her gaze and spotted Leah.
Their eyes met.
Wendy froze for a second before a slow smile crept onto her lips.
She raised her hand, giving Leah a smug little wave goodbye.
It seemed Adrian wouldn’t have time to speak with her today after all.
Thinking this, Leah packed away her tablet and ordered a ride through a ride-hailing app.
A short while later, the app showed that her driver had arrived at the Hawthorne Group’s entrance.
Leah stood up and headed for the doors.
Before she could reach the exit, the doors of the private elevator leading to the CEO’s office slid open.
Adrian Hawthorne stepped out.
He was tall and lean, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs encased in a perfectly tailored haute couture suit.
His hair was impeccably styled, swept back from his forehead to reveal a strikingly handsome face with sharp, deep-set features.
Leah knew that when this man let his hair down, he possessed a wicked, untamed charm that was even more mesmerizing.
Adrian strode out in the lead.
Likely exhausted from a tedious meeting, his brows were slightly furrowed as he raised a hand to loosen his tie.
Robert Rhodes walked beside him, while Wendy Scott followed closely at his heels.
Robert caught sight of Leah out of the corner of his eye and stopped short.
“Mrs.
Hawthorne?”
Adrian’s footsteps halted abruptly.
The Hawthorne Group’s lobby was cavernous, making Robert’s voice carry clearly across the space.
Hearing how Executive Assistant Rhodes addressed Leah, the receptionist’s face instantly drained of color.
She hurried over to apologize.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!
I didn’t know who you were!
I wasn’t trying to keep you out on purpose!”
Adrian shot Robert a sideways glance.
“What’s going on?”
“Mrs.
Hawthorne called earlier, saying she needed to speak with you, but you were in a meeting.” Robert looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Mrs.
Hawthorne.
Things were hectic earlier, and I must have missed your follow-up call.”
Adrian frowned, glaring at Robert.
“Even the old man in the mailroom answers the phone faster than you do.”
However, Leah saw things crystal clear.
Adrian’s subordinates naturally took their cues from their boss.
They only respected the people that Adrian respected.
After all, Wendy Scott had made it upstairs without a single hitch, hadn’t she?
“I’ll schedule another time to discuss the investment for Charlotte Quinn’s project with you.” Leah’s phone began to vibrate in her hand; the driver was likely getting impatient.
“There’s no need to reschedule.
Let’s talk today,” Adrian said.
“Robert booked a table at Hakka Manor.
You can come with me, and we’ll talk over lunch.”
Hearing this, Leah couldn’t hold back a bitter, mocking smirk.
“Are you out of your mind, Adrian?” Leah glanced from him to Wendy Scott, who was hovering behind him.
“Me?
Have lunch?
With the two of you?”
Adrian furrowed his brows and shot Wendy a sideways glance.
“Robert will take you back.”
Wendy bit her lower lip, her expression turning pitifully wronged.
“Adrian…
I came all this way specifically to have lunch with you.”
“Robert will eat with you.” Adrian’s tone left no room for argument.
Wendy opened her mouth to protest, but Robert had already stepped forward.
“Miss Scott, right this way, please.”
Left with no choice, Wendy could only bite her lip and shoot Leah a vicious glare, as if Leah was the villain tearing two star-crossed lovers apart.
“Let’s go.” Adrian stepped up, plucked the persistently vibrating phone right out of Leah’s hand, declined the call, and canceled the ride.
Hakka Manor wasn’t too far from the Hawthorne Group.
It was an exclusive private kitchen specializing in Hakka cuisine, known for its tranquil and elegant private dining rooms.
Adrian stirred the pounded Hakka tea in his wooden bowl.
“I thought Charlotte wouldn’t let you come.”
Leah blanked.
“What?”
“When she came to see me last time, I told her you were the one who had to negotiate with me,” Adrian replied.
Leah had absolutely no idea.
Charlotte had kept it completely under wraps, preferring to drink herself into a stupor trying to secure other investments rather than breathe a word of this to her.
Leah bit her lip, forcing a hard edge into her voice.
“A letter of intent has already been signed.
How can you just back out of the agreement like this?”
“It doesn’t matter.
It’s just a letter of intent.
At worst, I pay a penalty for breach of contract.
I don’t mind losing a little pocket change.
However, once word gets out that the Hawthorne Group thinks poorly of her project and refuses to invest…
I’d like to see who else would dare to fund it.”
If that really happened, Charlotte’s project would essentially be flushed down the drain.
It was a bloodless execution.
Yet the man sitting across from her remained the picture of languid ease.
His gaze was entirely nonchalant as his long, slender fingers spun the lazy Susan, bringing the plate of steamed chicken to a stop right in front of Leah.
“Don’t you like steamed chicken?
This place makes it quite well.
Give it a try.”
Steamed chicken?
Right now, Leah wouldn’t be interested even if he were serving her dragon meat!
Adrian took one look at her expression, a half-smile playing on his thin lips.
“Besides, Leah, I learned this trick of breaking agreements from you.”
Leah was stunned.
“What?”