Ch. 131..135: Begging For A Reconciliation Chapter 131-135
Chapter 131
“As a reporter, you should always strive to uncover the truth. However, the reality is quite the opposite, and you have come to question me without having conducted any proper investigation. Such inquiries will not elicit a response from me.” Leah coldly refused while maintaining a blank expression.
Perhaps it was because her sudden assertiveness put those reporters off, and some people actually shut up embarrassingly.
Seeing this, Leah pulled Ian and decided to head in the direction of the office.
At this point, the leading reporter gritted his teeth and pursued her once more. “Are you avoiding this subject on purpose? Or did we get it exactly right?”
Leah’s face became colder. She slowly turned around, stared at him, and said word for word, “If you spread rumors like this again, I will have my lawyer to have a chat with you.”
She spent the few years she was abroad following her grandfather into the chamber of commerce, where she met people from all walks of life, including some who were difficult to get along with.
She knew that if she backed away in this situation, the other party would advance and tighten their noose around her.
Leah didn’t say anything else after seeing the other party’s grimace, and quickly dragged Ian into the company.
When the two returned to the office, Leah removed her coat and placed it on the sofa.
Ian came over and looked at her worriedly, “Are you all right?”
When she heard this, Leah shook her head. “I’m alright. This little thing can’t possibly affect me in any way.”
“Speaking of which, I’m still puzzled as to why you returned so abruptly. Did something happen?” Ian exhaled a sigh.
He looked at Leah worriedly.
He knew Leah wasn’t the type who would back down because she couldn’t stand the harsh environment in the mountains, but he also knew she didn’t like to talk about many things, and she preferred to keep it to herself.
Leah averted her gaze as she heard Ian’s words.
She didn’t want to talk about it, but she also didn’t want Ian to be worried.
After a brief moment of thought, her hands clenched and loosened before heaving a sigh of relief and saying, “It’s because of Sunny. He attempted to molest me but was unsuccessful.”
“What?” Ian couldn’t believe it, his gentle face contorted in surprise.
He’d known Sunny for five years and hadn’t realized he was such a person.
Ian stepped forward to hold Leah’s hand after a brief thought, a trace of guilt on his face. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright.” Leah smiled at him reluctantly, resisting the urge to withdraw her hand, and said, “It’s not your fault.”
“Don’t be concerned. I will not, under any circumstances, let him go,” Ian assured, “In addition to today’s events, I will conduct a thorough investigation.”
Leah nodded, “Okay, I believe you.”
Ian brushed aside the problems caused by these reporters who came to the company today after learning that Sunny had malicious intentions toward Leah.
Similarly, Leah believed that this was a minor issue.
They did not expect this situation to escalate so quickly, and it occupied major news headlines within two days.
Even Leah, who disliked going online, was aware of how negatively the public perceived her.
She walked out of the office after leaving work in the afternoon, passing several young and attractive female employees.
They were only aware of Leah’s “unusual” relationship with Ian and her identity as a famous designer, but they were unaware that she was also a shareholder in the company.
“Look, it’s her.”
“Shh, be quiet! She’s here.”
“So what if she hears it? She’s just an unruly woman who returned from abroad to harm our Mr. Sanders.”
“Mr. Sanders, our president, has always kept his name clean. Never have there been any scandals or unfavorable news when traveling abroad. As soon as she arrived, others began to reprimand her in that manner.”
“…”
It was as if they were deliberately informing Leah.
Leah stopped in her tracks, frowned slightly, and walked in front of them.
The three of them were all whispering when a shadow appeared in front of them. When they looked up, they were met by Leah’s cold eyes.
The three of them had slightly awkward expressions on their faces.
“I appreciate you defending Ian.” Leah looked at them, obviously the same height as the other party, but she had a condescending air about her.
“But you slander others behind their backs, and in doing so, you are causing Ian problems. Furthermore, as the company’s frontliners, you should be more conscious of your image and keep your mouth shut.” Leah reprimanded them flatly.
The three looked at each other in dismay. They had no idea this woman would have the guts to teach them a lesson.
Shouldn’t she be hiding like a rat?
“What rights do you have to teach us a lesson?” one of them asked quickly, pouting.
Leah smiled lightly and said, “Based on this.”
As she spoke, she opened her purse, took out a business card, and gently placed it at the front desk.
That was the new business card she made after returning home from her trip abroad.
The receptionist picked up the business card and gave it a quick glance after noticing this, at which point her face abruptly turned red and then, white.
She only saw “Sarah White, Chairman of White Group, Chief Jewelry Designer of Fortune Group” written on the business card.
White family and Sanders family collectively made up the Fortune Group. She was the chairman of White Group, which proved that she owned at least half of Fortune Group’s shares.
A Maserati with pink stickers was parked on the side of the road when Leah exited the company. The car window slowly rolled down as Leah emerged, revealing Serena’s bright smile.
“Cindy.” Serena waved at her, drawing a lot of attention from the passing traffic.
Leah dashed over to open the car door and get inside. She had to care about her image even if she didn’t care about those public opinions.
“What brings you here?” Leah inquired while wearing her seat belt.
“Have you forgotten that you promised to take me shopping?” pouted Serena.
She had just returned from abroad and had nothing with her. Leah had promised to take her to the mall to buy daily necessities and clothes.
“Sorry, I’ve been too busy lately.”
“Are you preoccupied with dealing with those comments on the internet?” Serena inquired. “But seriously, you Pasteria netizens are far more powerful than Melville’s. Do they not eat and sleep? How do they have so much time every day?”
A helpless smile spread across Leah’s face as she was amused by her words.
Leah exited the Maserati after it had stopped in the parking lot of the mall, and as she did so, she caught a fleeting glimpse of the car parked next to them out of the corner of her eye. She was momentarily taken aback.
Why does this car look familiar?
“Come on, let’s get some food first.” Serena urged from the front.
Leah had no choice but to keep up.
They had a casual meal at a restaurant in the mall before she took Serena shopping.
Sometimes one had to admit that women possessed too much spending power.
Just as Serena emerged from a clothing store, Leah looked at the bags in her hand and helplessly said, “We can’t carry any more bags.”
“Ah! What to do then?” Serena suddenly looked bitter.
Leah’s eyes lit up slightly as she noticed a jewelry store in front of her.
Chapter 132
Leah pointed to the jewelry store in front of Serena and said, “I recall that the jewelry store is part of the Fortune Group. Let’s get the things there first, then have the driver deliver them to the villa.”
After hearing that, Serena exclaimed enthusiastically, “Okay, let’s go!”
The two entered the jewelry store carrying bags of various sizes. They were beautiful and young, and they had a lot of bags in their hands. The employees assumed they had come in to buy jewelry.
“Hello! Welcome!” They were greeted warmly by the salesperson.
“Hello,” Leah placed the things in her hand on the sofa beside her and turned to face her, saying, “We want to…”
“What did you say? Who designed this necklace?!”
An excited voice next to her interrupted her before she could say anything.
Leah frowned slightly and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound.
The sound also drew the attention of the other salespeople, and they all made their way over.
There were about seven or eight people in front of a counter selling necklaces at the time.
In the very center was a lady in gold and silver, all covered in jewels, with heavy makeup on her face. Her eyes were fixed on a necklace placed in front of her, and her very thin brows seemed to stand up.
“What is the situation?” Serena was outgoing and began inquiring about the situation as soon as she squeezed herself in.
There were two other customers besides the salesperson. When Serena asked, the spirit of gossip ignited and whispered to her, “That woman was going to buy that necklace, but when she found out the
designer’s name was Cindy, she became enraged. I’m not sure why she’s upset about it. Wasn’t Cindy’s jewelry a hit among the noble ladies?”
Leah raised her brows after hearing those words.
“The designer of this style was designed by Cindy, a famous foreign jewelry designer, and most of her designer necklaces are available in our store,” the salesperson here began to explain.
“Wasn’t that the woman who seduced Fortune Group’s president, Mr. Sanders, who returned after gilding and desired to ascend society and become a phoenix?” With her bright red nails covering half of her mouth, the woman asked sarcastically.
Everyone’s expressions changed, except for Leah, the person mentioned, who seemed unfazed.
“Lady, don’t believe the seditious comments posted online that are meant to spread rumors.” The salesperson patiently explained.
“He-he! My daughter has always gotten along well with Ian. They are of the same social class and are interested in each other, but he has abandoned my daughter since she appeared. Who, if not that woman, had seduced him?” The woman exclaimed loudly.
Hearing that, Serena tutted twice, approached Leah and said, “I didn’t expect your fiancé to be quite popular.”
Leah rolled her eyes at her, and uttered, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“If you are not interested in purchasing, please leave.” There was such a commotion here that it eventually drew the store manager’s attention.
When the store manager arrived, the woman who was causing problems was quickly dismissed. It was to be expected, given that he had been appointed by Ian.
Before leaving, the woman twisted her neck and glared at them angrily, saying, “You’re kicking me out of the store? Wait until my daughter marries into the Sander family. You’ll see how I handle the lot of you.”
After the troublemaker left, the store manager reprimanded a few salespeople who exchanged pale looks. “Is this the first time this has happened? I’ve said it before, if you come across someone who isn’t here to buy anything and is only looking to cause trouble, just usher them away. Get the security guards if they don’t leave. Why even try to talk to her?”
Unconvinced, one of the salespeople scowled and muttered, “Can’t you, store manager, ask Mr. Sanders to take all the Cindy-designed jewelry off the shelves? Even if they are driven away, it will only treat the symptoms and not the underlying cause, and there will be others. People have come to cause havoc. The internet users had left such scathing and offensive comments. Why her pieces are still on display here is beyond me.”
“Shut up. Is it your responsibility to show Mr. Sanders how to do things? If you can’t take it any longer, hand in your resignation letter.” The shop owner berated her while glaring at her.
The other salespeople lowered their heads, each of them feeling similarly resentful.
The store manager let them go after reprimanding them. She cast a broad glance around the store, and when she met Leah’s gaze, she was taken aback for a moment.
The store manager approached Leah and asked, “Hello, what would you like to see?”
For some reason, she had the impression that Leah was not like the other women who had come to cause trouble.
Leah was very pleased with the store manager’s performance just now. “Are there many people causing trouble here today?” she asked, flashing a soft smile in her direction.
For a brief moment, the store manager was stunned. She gave Leah a quick once-over, and there was a flash of recognition in her eyes.
“Miss Cindy, come here and have a little chat with me,” she said, her expression adding a touch of deference.
The store manager led them to the store’s lounge area. She then served them each a cup of coffee before taking a seat across from them.
“It’s just that some people will gossip, and this is the only one who causes trouble like this.”
“Okay. How are the sales going today?” Leah asked again.
Despite her disheartened expression, the store manager replied truthfully, “We haven’t sold a single piece of jewelry today.”
Leah nodded slowly.
She had not anticipated this situation. She thought that those public sentiments were only minor issues that would eventually go away on their own.
However, she did not expect that the situation would worsen.
Those behind the scenes seemed to want to make things difficult for her, and were opposed to her leading an easy life.
After Leah and Serena had finished their coffee, Leah nodded and said, “Go do your work. I’ll take a look around.”
The store manager left after hearing that.
The two sat in the lounge area for a while.
Serena leaned against the sofa, as if she had just finished watching a really good show, and asked her, “What plan do you have? The problem is a little trickier this time.”
They’d known each other for two years, and she knew far too much about Leah’s character.
She preferred to face difficulties head on.
However, this time, Leah frowned slightly and sighed, “I’m not sure yet.”
She really didn’t know what to do.
After all, she had drawn some people into her situation, and Ian was one of them.
For a while, she was silent.
Serena suddenly nudged her arm with her elbow and said, “Look outside.”
Behind the lounge area where they were seated was a large glass window, and the outside could be seen clearly from the inside.
The floor they were on was in the shopping mall’s affluent section. Since everything on this floor was premium, ordinary people never came up here. That was why there were so few people outside.
After hearing Serena’s words, Leah unwittingly lifted her eyes and fixed them in the direction she had indicated.
Outside, three people were shopping. The man was holding a child in his arms and lowered his head to speak to the woman. The woman’s face was coyly shy, and her eyes were beaming with joy.
It was Han and Molly.
That was also the image Leah had seen countless times in her dreams.
Chapter 133
“Tsk, tsk, tsk It’s him again. This guy is a Casanova. He has his wife and child in his arms, and he still has designs for you. He pursued you all the way to the village the last time. I thought he was crazy about you.” Serena took a good look at Han and sighed, shaking her head.
When she first returned to Pasteria and saw Han, who was stunning in appearance and temperament, she had a fleeting thought of having an affair.
Her mind was put at ease now that she knew this man was not a good person. Furthermore, he was obviously more interested in Leah, and their relationship was so delicate. Serena didn’t want to navigate treacherous waters.
She merely wanted to watch from the sidelines.
Leah’s eyes met Han for just two seconds before they drifted away expressionlessly.
“Do you still want to go shopping?” she asked Serena after standing up and giving her an interested look.
“Yes, of course! Why would we not go shopping? Let’s get going.” She grabbed Leah’s arm and led her out of the jewelry store.
Leah felt a burning gaze on her back as soon as she walked out of the jewelry store, and she didn’t have to turn around to see who it was.
Han appeared to have a gut feeling because his eyes were drawn to Leah the moment she appeared.
However, Leah left without looking back.
Even though she had walked some distance away, Han continued to stare deeply in the direction she was leaving, oblivious to Molly, whose facial expression had changed beside him.
“Han, what are you looking at?” Molly asked, forcing a smile.
Han finally averted his gaze and stated flatly, “Nothing.”
As Molly’s hands hung by her sides, they were clenched tightly and the knuckles had a pale hue to them. Her smile gradually became more rigid.
“Isn’t this a Fortune Group jewelry store? Their company is considered a competitor to yours, but Han, did you know that Fortune Group has had a difficult time recently?” Molly cast a sarcastic glance at the massive jewelry store in front of her.
Han followed her gaze to the store. Except for a few shop assistants and a single customer, the jewelry store with exquisite decoration and design appeared to be desolate.
Han had been preoccupied with other matters recently, so he had no idea why.
Since she had mentioned it, he went along with her and asked her, “What?”
“Ian Sanders, the CEO of Fortune Group, and Cindy, the designer who had recently returned to Pasteria, are involved in some sort of relationship. The woman’s character is terrible, which has sparked outrage on the Internet. Because of her, everyone boycotted the jewelry she designed. The Fortune Group was dragged in and is suffering as a result.” Molly emphasized that “the character is terrible,” and openly and secretly mocked Leah.
She even highlighted Leah and Ian’s relationship.
Han’s thick black brows were slightly twisted as he listened to her words.
It wasn’t because of Molly’s words, though. It was because Leah was in trouble yet, again.
How could this woman be so unlucky that she kept getting caught in trouble just a few days after returning to Pasteria?
With that in mind, Han said to Molly, “Today, I’m not going shopping. I still have work to do. I’m returning to the office.”
Molly’s smile instantly froze at the corner of her mouth. She bit her lower lip, her face gloomy, and asked, “Why?”
Han didn’t have the heart to explain it to her, so he walked away with Charlotte in his arms. Molly couldn’t help but grit her teeth and follow him.
Ben was apprehensive when he saw Han enter the office. “What brings you back, Mr. Howard?”
Han’s temper has grown increasingly irritable since he last left Linkville and returned. He always had a gloomy expression these days. Everyone in the group was aware of his unpredictable temperament, and for fear of angering him, they dared not even make noise while walking.
“Hmm, find something out for me,” Han said expressionlessly as he loosened his tie and sat in his chair.
“What do you want me to help you find?” Ben inquired quickly.
“Find out what kind of trouble Sarah White is in,” Han continued.
“All right, Sarah…” Ben wanted to say it again, but as soon as he started, his eyes widened involuntarily.
Wait. Did he hear it right?
Did Mr. Howard say Sarah? As in Sarah White?!
He hadn’t heard this name in almost two years, and even if he had, he didn’t dare to mention it.
The name Sarah White was once a taboo for Han.
Now, however, he actually heard it from Mr. Howard’s mouth and he had said the words himself.
Han glared at him. “What are you doing standing there?”
Ben got his look, and even though he didn’t understand what was going on and was still shocked by what happened, he handled it professionally.
It didn’t take long for Ben to learn about the situation and inform Han of its details.
Han leaned back in his office chair, his legs slightly crossed, and his face was solemn.
“Mr. Howard, I also learned that this incident was not accidental; rather, someone purposefully stoked public dissent behind the scenes to slander Ms. White.” Ben stumbled.
“Hmm.” Han nodded indifferently, and said, “I know.”
Would you like me to conduct a thorough investigation, ascertain the perpetrator’s identity, seize the perpetrator, and establish Miss White’s innocence? Ben continued to inquire cautiously.
“No.” Han, as expected, rejected his proposal.
Ben exhaled a sigh of relief, thinking that he was fortunate not to be chastised this time.
Who knew that in the next second, Han would stand up and declare, “I know who it is.”
Ben was stunned for a moment and inadvertently asked, “Who is it…”
Han rose to his feet and walked to the office’s floor-to-ceiling window, where he lowered his head to observe the scene outside.
The number of times he had looked out the window like this over the previous two years escaped his memory. He used to look out the window whenever he was upset.
He often wondered if there was anyone in this city worth remembering for her.
Fortunately, she did return.
Han had his back turned to Ben. Looking askance, he asked after a while, “I heard that Shawn Ford is coming to Linkville?”
“Yes, he will arrive here on a plane the following morning.” Ben responded respectfully, albeit puzzled.
“Call him and let him know I’ve planned a banquet to welcome him back,” instructed Han.
Ben looked at Han again in surprise.
Everyone in the outside world now knew that Han and Shawn are business rivals. Han had never paid attention to Ian or considered him to be a threat.
However, Shawn was an extremely cunning and ruthless individual who preferred to plot against others.
Han hated him very much.
However, given that Shawn was visiting Linkville, why did Han even decide to host a banquet?
Ben didn’t understand it, but he didn’t dare to challenge it, so he could only lower his head and say, “Okay.”
Han averted his gaze and clenched his fists slowly.
Chapter 134
Leah arrived at the company early in the morning, but the atmosphere was not as usual. The entire company building was silent, everyone’s voices were very low when they spoke or walked, and their faces were gloomy and despondent. No eye contact was made.
Leah pushed open the door to the chairman’s office, only to find it empty, and she had no idea where Ian had gone.
When the secretary entered the room carrying a document, she stopped her and asked, “Where is Ian?”
When the secretary saw Leah, a flash of recognition flashed across her face, and she replied truthfully, “Mr. Sanders is in the conference room right now.”
“In a meeting?” After hearing there was a meeting, Leah frowned a little and racked her brains unwittingly. She then realized Ian had not told her anything about the meeting.
“How come no one informed me of the meeting?” Leah inquired, her brow furrowed.
When the secretary heard the words, she realized she had let slip her tongue and quickly tried to cover up her error by saying, “Perhaps you forgot, but the meeting should be finished by now. You can simply sit in the office and wait.”
As Leah listened to her stammering words, her doubts grew. She pondered for two seconds, then stood up and walked towards the conference room without looking back.
Before she could even push the door open, she heard a loud noise.
Someone threw a stack of documents on the table, and then a voice with suppressed rage said, “Mr. Sanders, take a look at how much our company’s stock price has dropped in the last two weeks. You’re still not planning a press conference to clarify the situation?”
“What good is it if it’s clarified? Ms. White works for our firm. The public opinion on the Internet is completely biased since she got involved in this issue!”
Yes, the only strategy at this time is to keep your distance from Ms. White.
“However, Miss White owns half of Fortune Group’s shares.”
“What’s a share? At most, we kick out the White family’s company. We have finally made some progress and are on the upswing. We can’t get implicated in this!”
All the shareholders exchanged words in the office, and the debates were heated.
Leah listened at the door, her face expressionless.
In fact, she could see why these people would say such things. After all, she had been abroad for two years and had never worked with these people or contributed to the company before.
On the contrary, she had implicated the company as soon as she returned to Pasteria. The company had suffered from negative publicity, and its jewelry store was boycotted, the stock price fell, and the company was now in crisis.
“Okay.” Ian finally spoke up in a deep voice just as everyone was complaining.
His complexion was not great, “Fortune Group will not cut ties with the White family or Sarah White. This controversy arose as a result of someone’s malicious intent to incite dissent. I will thoroughly investigate this matter before issuing a statement to clarify.”
“But Mr. Sanders…” Someone else wished to persuade further.
At this point, the conference room door was pushed open from the outside, and Leah entered with a blank expression on her five-centimeter-tall high heels.
“Sarah.” Ian got up quickly, his expression a little nervous, “I didn’t mean to…”
Leah shook her head at him, and said, “It’s okay.”
She knew he didn’t want her to be worried.
The others looked slightly awkward when they saw Leah appear.
After all, they were caught gossiping behind her back, and she was their leader.
“Take it easy, everyone. I’ll definitely find a solution because I’m the one who caused this problem. In terms of the losses incurred by the company during this time, I will also find a way to make up the difference.” She said it lightly, but her voice had the unwitting power to calm people’s hearts.
Leah’s eyes suddenly took on a different expression. Her voice was icy as the topic of conversation changed, and she stated, “It’s time to put people to the test now that the company is in trouble. You can leave as soon as you like if you feel sorry for yourself because I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks, even when our people are in chaos at this time.”
Upon hearing her words, everyone’s faces changed.
Leah couldn’t give a damn what they thought. Leah went on, “Every business will face some level of difficulty. Instead of complaining about problems, you should learn to accept them and find solutions to them. Do you have any other concerns?”
The conference room fell silent for a few seconds after she finished speaking.
For a brief moment, a man in his forties smirked and said, “You said it with such ease. You started this problem, so tell me how you intend to fix it.”
Leah cast a glance at him and revealed her plans to everyone. “I will hold a press conference, announcing that I will be the company’s chief jewelry designer, and simultaneously donate books and materials to elementary schools in the mountainous area, helping them repair the school, and as for the person who subtly influenced public opinion, I will also weed him out.”
Leah came up with this idea over the last few days, and it’s currently the quickest fix for the issue at hand.
Even though everyone boycotted her, her value as the most prestigious international jewelry designer remained.
Additionally, a person who was widely regarded as being bad would quickly gain public acceptance after performing a good deed and pleading for forgiveness.
The others in the conference room said nothing after hearing Leah’s words.
Even though the situation was not particularly complicated, their tendency to shirk responsibility whenever a problem arose has caused them to feel a little embarrassed right now.
Leah and Ian returned to the office after the meeting.
Ian made her a cup of tea and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I made you hear those hurtful words.”
“It’s not your fault.” Leah said.
Ian’s face showed a deeper level of regret when he heard those words. He sighed after a while and said, “I’ve already contacted Sunny, but it’s odd… Everyone said they never saw him again and have no idea where he went. I sent people to look for him, but there was no trace of him.”
Leah’s face revealed a deep thought. “The traces ought to still be detectable even if he fled the scene out of fear of the crime. He couldn’t possibly have vanished without a trace.”
“I suspect someone got to him.” Ian expressed his reservations.
Leah pondered for a moment, then sighed, “Just wait and see. I’ll go ahead and prepare for clarification first.”
“I’ll go with you,” Ian said softly.
“Okay.”
Leah returned to the Whites’ residence in the evening.
When Jane called, she had just finished taking a shower.
“Sarah, how are you doing in Pasteria? Did you run into any problems?” Jane’s voice came across as somewhat frail.
Leah replied while drying her hair, “Everything is fine. Don’t worry. How about you? Have you been to the hospital for a checkup? Why does your voice still sound so weak?”
“It’s the same old issue. It happens every year. Don’t be overly concerned about me.” Jane spoke softly.
Leah frowned slightly and sighed.
How could she not be worried?
Jane seemed to have lost her energy since Gordon’s passing.
Chapter 135
Even though Jane didn’t say anything during her two years abroad, Leah could see with her own eyes that Jane’s body was becoming weaker and more depressed. She mostly spent her days staring in a daze at the flowers in the garden.
She also made numerous attempts to make Jane happy, but no matter how hard she tried, Jane was only able to maintain an outward appearance of happiness while Gordon remained a source of constant pain.
Ryan naturally brought Jane to many psychiatrists, but all of them said she didn’t have any psychological issues. It was just that she just couldn’t get past herself.
Leah was worried, but there was nothing she could do.
“Mom,” Leah put down the towel, sighed again, and said, “I said before that I would take you back to Pasteria, but you were afraid that you would remember that incident when you returned to Linkville, so I didn’t bring you. But you are all by yourself there, abroad. You should take care of yourself, and don’t let me worry about you.”
“I know. What could possibly go wrong with me? You simply would not believe me. It’s been a long time. I’m over it long ago,” repudiated Jane.
“I hope so,” Leah said, helplessly smiling.
“By the way, how are you and this kid, Ian, doing? When will you become engaged?” Jane asked, concerned.
Leah’s face froze when she heard this, and she pursed her lips and hesitated before saying, “The whole engagement thing… There’s no need to rush.”
“What’s not to rush? I saw that boy grow up. He likes you and has the best character. He hasn’t married and has been single for the past two years, waiting for you. Don’t think I’m clueless. You two had a good relationship when you were younger, and now that you’ve decided to return to Pasteria, you must never let him down again.” Jane nagged in an anxious tone.
“I know, but I just returned to Pasteria, and there are still a lot of things I need to deal with, and I’m also quite busy at the company, so we haven’t thought about it yet,” Leah exclaimed helplessly.
When Jane heard this, she fell silent for a moment before saying, “Sarah, tell me the truth, do you still think about…”
“Mom.” Leah cut Jane off because she knew what she was going to say. “I really don’t, and it’s not what you think,” she said solemnly.
“It’s best it isn’t so.” Jane exhaled a sigh of relief before beginning to speak bitterly, “My greatest wish right now is for you to marry Ian and be happy. I can’t rest until I deliver you into his hands.”
Leah felt a little helpless.
“Okay, I know.”
“You better keep it in mind.”
Jane told her repeatedly before hanging up the phone.
Leah was feeling a little tired. She encountered problems one after another after arriving back in Pasteria, which truly overwhelmed her.
She and Ian… She hadn’t given it much thought, but Jane pressed her to do so. She wondered if she should talk to Ian about it.
The phone rang again while she was deep in thought.
Leah quickly picked up the phone, thinking it was Jane, and checked the caller ID, but it was an unknown number.
“Hello?” Leah picked it up and asked suspiciously, “May I know who this is?”
“Leah.” The other party correctly called out her name.
Leah’s heart skipped a beat. She was all too familiar with this voice.
“Han, how did you get my phone number?” she asked, finally finding her voice within her pounding heart.
“I found it,” Han said, slightly pleased, “there is nothing I can’t find.”
What he said was reasonable because truly, there was really nothing he couldn’t find.
But why on earth did he check on her?
“What do you want?” Leah asked warily.
Han’s voice had a languid, carefree quality to it. “I’d like to speak with you about a business opportunity.”
“I’m sorry, I really have nothing to talk to you about,” Leah said without thinking.
“Although you are the chairman of the White family’s company and the largest shareholder of Fortune Group, you are also carrying out Mr. Crawford’s tasks, aren’t you?” Han said a lot in a single breath.
Leah frowned slightly, her voice cold. “What exactly do you want to say?”
Han found himself in a surprisingly good mood as he leaned on the sofa and observed the scene outside the floor to ceiling window—even if Leah was hostile to him.
He still wanted to make her laugh and tease her a little.
“Fortune Group cannot make your jewelry famous, but Howard Group can. Why don’t you come and work for me? I’d like to hire you as the company’s chief jewelry designer.” Han was in a good mood when he said this.
Even if it was only a proposal, anything that came out of his mouth sounded more like a command.
“Why should I accept your job offer?” countered Leah.
With significant resources in every area, Howard Group was now the strongest business in the nation, and everyone wanted a piece of the action.
Ryan’s domestic market performance was still lacking, despite his success abroad.
When Ryan let Leah return to Pasteria this time, he expected her to pave the way up in the domestic market.
Han had discovered this long ago, so he preyed on her weak spot to entice her.
Leah would have been moved if it had been anyone else.
The other party, however, was Han. She was not reconciled, and she refused to do what he wanted.
“Leah, you don’t have a choice,” Han sighed, his tone heavy.
It was to be expected that she would refuse.
However, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t help but feel a little down.
She always had an uncanny ability to affect his emotions. Han took a light puff after lighting the cigarette between his fingers.
“Who do you think is behind it this time?” After a long silence, he spoke slowly again, “Shawn Ford has his eyes on you.”
Leah’s expression changed.
So, it was Shawn Ford.
His gentlemanly demeanor came to mind when his name was mentioned, but she also remembered how he had a way of making people shudder at even the smallest of his actions.
He was too vicious.
Her father’s death was caused indirectly by his schemes.
Leah’s hands were slightly clenched.
“Han, I’ll take you up on your offer. But it’s not because I compromise with you. It’s because I consider my own interests,” Leah said slowly after a long time.
Han’s voice was somewhat hoarse. “Of course.”
After speaking, he hung up the phone.
It was now evening, and the brilliant sunset shone through the office’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
His office was located in the city’s tallest office building. Han smoked his cigarette slowly.
Ben pushed the door open and walked in. “You asked for me, Mr. Howard?”
“Yes,” Han nodded and said, “Get ready to welcome our company’s new secretary to the president.”
He paused before adding, “Also as my personal assistant.”
Ben looked at Han inexplicably.
Why do I have the impression that Mr. Howard is overly excited right now?