Ch. 411..420

Chapter 411

Clinging onto Rayna, Kristie told her everything she wanted to eat. In turn, Rayna placed an order through the application.

“It’ll take at least forty minutes for the groceries to be delivered. Are there flour and unsalted butter in the kitchen?” Rayna asked Larissa as she headed toward the kitchen, ignoring Curtis altogether.

“Yes. They’re all in the upper cabinet.” Larissa followed her into the kitchen and helped her retrieve the said items. Then, she added, “There’s also an oven and some molds for cookies. Do you need them as well, Ms. Garland?”

“Yes. Please take them out for me.”

“Sure.”

Kristie didn’t go into the kitchen but eyed Curtis beside her and inquired in curiosity, “What did you say was the purpose of your visit just now? You’re here for your laptop, right?”

Without waiting for Curtis to answer, she started rummaging everywhere in the living room.

In the end, she found the laptop beside the television. With all the excitement in the world, she brought it over to him. “Found it! Hurry up and leave, Curt, lest your work gets held up.”

Curtis was rendered speechless for a moment.

He massaged his temples. “I worry about you since there’s an outsider at home. I’ll leave later.”

“What outsider?” Kristie was lost at first before she followed his gaze to the kitchen and caught sight of Rayna. Immediately, chagrin swamped her. “Rayna isn’t an outsider! Don’t treat her like your enemy

simply because you’ve broken up with her. She’s stunningly beautiful, and many men are interested in her even if you aren’t.”

Curtis’ eyes darkened a shade. “You’re now siding with outsiders, Kristie?”

“I was just speaking the truth.” Kristie curled her ruby lips. In the next instant, something seemingly occurred to her. She leaned close to the man and queried in a whisper, “Are you so adamant about staying because you want to eat Rayna’s cooking, Curt?”

“No.”

In response, Kristie harrumphed. “I think that’s the reason all right. It’s obvious that you want to stick around for a free meal, Curt.”

Pressing his hand against her head, Curtis forcibly turned her around in the direction of her room. “Go back to your bedroom and change out of your pajamas. If you continue talking back to me, I’ll dismiss Mdm. Lovett and leave you to fend for yourself.”

“How petty!” Kristie muttered. Slapping his hand away, she begrudgingly returned to her bedroom.

Curtis placed the laptop on the coffee table before striding to the bar area. He snagged a glass and got himself some soda.

When he straightened, he spotted Rayna bustling around in the open kitchen. Her black hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail that hung down her back, giving vague glimpses of her fair neck every so often. Dressed casually, she emanated sheer femininity.

He leaned against the edge of the bar with his ebony eyes fixated on her, watching as she moved about at times or took something from Larissa.

What kind of allure exactly does she have that I can’t forget her? And why is it that she has the ability to make a mess of my emotions?

Feeling somewhat irritable, he threw his head back and downed the entire glass of soda. That soothed him considerably.

In the kitchen, Larissa was helping Rayna when her phone rang out of the blue.

Excusing herself, she went to the side to answer the call.

About two minutes later, she hurried out to look for Curtis and implored frantically, “Mr. Faymon, my granddaughter is running a high fever. My son and daughter-in-law are on a business trip and can’t make it back. I’m afraid my granddaughter won’t be able to manage alone at home. Can I take a half- day leave to look in on her?”

“Okay, I’ll give you a half-day leave. Just come over on the dot tomorrow morning,” Curtis replied.

“Thank you, Mr. Faymon!” Larissa was grateful beyond words. Before leaving, she suggested, “Since you’ve got nothing to do here anyway, Mr. Faymon, you can go in and lend Ms. Garland a hand. It’s too much work for her alone.”

Even after she had left, Curtis remained leaning against the bar without budging an inch.

He cast a look at the kitchen, only to see that Rayna was managing perfectly well by herself.

She disdains me, no? In that case, why should I still go and help her? Besides, I’m not here to be her helper.

“Hey, where’s Mdm. Lovett? Why isn’t she helping Rayna?” Kristie questioned upon seeing that Rayna was alone in the kitchen, having changed into casual clothes.

“Her granddaughter is running a high fever, so I gave her a half-day leave,” Curtis answered concisely.

“Then, I’ll go and lend Rayna a hand!” Upon hearing that, Kristie rolled up her sleeves and dashed toward the kitchen excitedly.

Unfortunately, she was stopped by Curtis midway.

“Do you want to blow up the kitchen again? If another fire breaks out, Faymon Group doesn’t have that much money to compensate everyone.” As Curtis recalled her “moment of glory” previously, the corners of his mouth twitched.

“T-That was just a moment of inattention when I set the wrong duration for the oven! Am I to leave her to do all the work by herself? That won’t be appropriate!” Kristie argued.

While saying that, she suddenly stared at the man fixedly with a crafty look in her eyes.

A sense of foreboding promptly flooded Curtis.

Before the high and mighty man could say anything, Kristie shoved him into the kitchen and announced loudly, “Rayna, Curt has offered to help you out!”

At that, Rayna snorted and scoffed, “He can’t even differentiate between salt and sugar. Forget it.”

“That definitely won’t happen again this time. He said he’d be embarrassed to eat your cooking without doing anything and insisted on helping, so do grant him the opportunity, Rayna,” Kristie chirped, pushing Curtis into the kitchen.

The instant Rayna glanced over her shoulder, she was greeted by the sight of Curtis behind her.

Rolling her eyes at him, she pointed at the bowl of flour. “Since you’re eager to help, Mr. Faymon, go ahead and mix the flour.”

With a chilly expression on his face, Curtis turned to glower at Kristie, but the latter had long since fled to the living room.

“Why are you looking everywhere? Hurry up and mix the flour!” Rayna urged. Then, she even muttered, “He shouldn’t have offered to help if he doesn’t know how to do it. He came in, but he isn’t helping at all, standing around like an id*ot!”

Words eluded Curtis, and he went silent for five seconds.

Unfastening his cuffs expressionlessly, he rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands. Only after doing that did he pick up the jug at the side and pour some warm water into the bowl of flour.

After stirring a few times with a spoon, he asked Rayna, “Do you want it on the dry or wet side?”

“Dry. It’s to make bread.”

“Okay.”

Neither of them said anything further, standing together side by side as they went about their tasks.

When Curtis was done mixing the flour, he kneaded it with his hand. Finding it about ready, he turned to inform Rayna about it.

Rayna appeared to be retrieving something, but she accidentally bumped into him while whirling around. Caught off guard, she turned unsteady on her feet and started falling backward unbidden.

His heart clenched, Curtis hurriedly reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back up. As soon as she had regained her feet, he quickly withdrew his arm and shifted aside.

Rayna was wholly thrown off balance by his actions.

D*mn it, how utterly heartless! Why didn’t he say anything about keeping a distance from me back when he bedded me?

The babies in her belly grew restless, and one of them kicked her.

Grunting in pain, Rayna frowned as she cursed inwardly. Their father is picking on me, and one of his children is now following suit!

“What’s wrong?” At the sight of her slightly pale complexion, Curtis wanted to inquire whether she would like to rest for a while but felt that it was too intimate, so he suppressed that urge.

“Nothing!” Rayna huffed. Brushing past him, she took out a bag of low-gluten flour from the cabinet. “I’ve already softened the butter. Whisk it smooth before adding an egg. Finally, add a pinch of salt and the low-gluten flour. Remember to use salt and not sugar. Otherwise, the cookies will be overly sweet.”

As she stuffed the whisk into his hand with a cold expression on her face, Curtis couldn’t help inquiring, “How long does it take to whisk it smooth?”

“No idea! Google it yourself!” Rayna snorted, giving her back to him.

Sheer exasperation deluged Curtis.

I don’t think I’ve done anything. In fact, I even saved her from taking a fall earlier. Why is she speaking to me in such a tone?

 

Chapter 412

By the time the deliveryman sent the groceries over, Rayna had already baked Ferropenian bread and some animal-shaped cookies.

She carried them out to the living room for Kristie. While at that, she went over to open the door and check all the groceries that had been delivered.

She bought a lot of things, three large bags in total. When she had checked everything and was going to carry them into the kitchen, a massive hand shot out and inadvertently touched the back of her hand.

“I’ll carry them.”

While she was still in a daze, Curtis had already picked up the three shopping bags effortlessly and spun around to head into the kitchen.

Rayna stared at the back of her hand, where the man’s touch seemingly left a trace of lingering warmth.

When he was steadying me just now, he moved away at lightning speed, but he’s now acting as though he didn’t notice it after touching me. Hah!

Meanwhile, Curtis took everything out of the bags and sorted them by kind. From his peripheral vision, he then saw Rayna entering the kitchen. “What are you planning to cook? I’ll wash and cut the ingredients.”

“Kristie wants to eat salmon aglio olio. Cut the salmon first, then wash some lean meat, mushrooms, and a bit of parsley,” Rayna instructed. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she added, “Tell me if you can’t slice the salmon properly.”

Grasping the mocking note in her words, Curtis was convinced that she had something against him.

His brows furrowed, and he leaned close to her, propping a hand against the sink. From that angle, he could only see the top of her head and vaguely smell a faint whiff of bluebells.

“How have I offended you, Ms. Garland? When you almost fell earlier, I even helped you up. Why are you deriding me such?” Curtis demanded lowly.

The moment Rayna heard that, her temper spiked, and she snorted coldly. “How am I deriding you? It’s a fact that you’ve never done any chores, so I’m worried that you’re incapable of doing all this.”

“Can you talk to me properly?”

Without hesitation, Rayna stared right at him. “Yes! Am I not talking to you properly right now? Also, please apologize when you accidentally touched someone.”

Curtis’ face went as black as thunder. “Yet, neither did you bother to thank me when I kept you from falling down just now.”

“I only had a near fall because you were blocking my path! I didn’t ask you to help carry the groceries earlier. You accidentally touched me, but you didn’t apologize. Don’t you think you’ve done anything wrong?” Rayna retorted at once.

Curtis was struck dumb.

It’s only been a few months since I’ve last seen her, and she’s really grown to be increasingly eloquent. It’s a pity that she doesn’t join a debate competition!

A hint of mirth flashed across his eyes, but it fleeted.

Taking a step back, he relented helplessly, “Fine, fine, whatever you say. Can you please be less formal when you talk to me?”

“That’s my expression of respect toward you, Mr. Faymon, to put some distance between us. If I speak to you formally, it’ll remind me of the gap between us,” Rayna replied, her hands never stopping.

Curtis’ temples throbbed, and he finally understood why it was unwise to argue with a woman.

It was because one could never win.

One utterance from the man could garner ten ripostes from the woman.

Subsequently, Rayna pushed him away unceremoniously. “Ah, get out of my way! Go out if you’re not helping instead of standing around and taking up the space here. It’d be faster for me to cook by myself…”

Her unceasing rambling made Curtis’ ears ring. Seizing hold of her chin, he captured her lips.

When she no longer nagged, peace returned to him once more.

At that precise moment, Kristie came over to get some water. The sight that greeted her in the kitchen had her eyes going wide and her jaw dropped. The glass almost slipped from her hand as well. “S- Sorry, I didn’t see anything. Carry on!”

Seeing that her glass was empty, she made her way back for some soda, bending low. Throughout it all, she furtively peeked into the kitchen.

Mortified beyond words, Rayna furiously pinched Curtis at the waist and shoved him away.

Warily backing away several steps, she jerked her head up and shot daggers at him, her cheeks stained with a hint of crimson. “H-How could you be so shameless when you’re a man? I’m going to

sue you!”

“If so, I’d like to see which lawyer dares to accept your case. Well, unless that lawyer doesn’t want to be in the legal field anymore.” Curtis rolled up his sleeves unhurriedly, baring part of his muscular arm.

Livid, Rayna gave her back to him. “What a lunatic!”

Noticing that she was going to handle the meat, Curtis snagged a knife and handed it to her. “In the future, don’t be so formal when talking to me. Otherwise, I’m going to kiss you however many times you do so.”

“What gives you the right—”

“Hmm?”

Curtis leaned close to her, giving her a feeling as though he was going to kiss her. She hastily backed away, scared. “Got it! Are you still going to help?”

Curtis quirked a brow, seemingly very much satisfied with her answer. Thereafter, he languidly dealt with the salmon.

In the living room, Kristie kept stealing glances at the situation in the kitchen. When she saw them working together in perfect harmony side by side, she marveled internally. This development is pretty good. I wonder if there’s a chance of them reconciling.

Just then, the phone on the table started vibrating.

It was Rayna’s phone.

Picking up the phone, Kristie wanted to take it into the kitchen for Rayna, only to glimpse “James” on the caller ID. Recalling Rayna asking her previously whether she missed James, curiosity bubbled

within her.

She surreptitiously peeked into the kitchen. Seeing that the couple inside wasn’t paying her any attention, she secretly answered the call.

“Have you gone back to the country, Rayna?” No sooner had she picked up the call than she heard a man’s deep and crisp voice.

The familiar voice inexorably made her heart ache.

Before she could say anything, the man continued, “I’m going to Xyperia to handle some matters, and I’ll be gone for quite some time. Help me cover up with Mom. That aside, help me take good care of Kristie. Are you listening, Rayna?”

“Rayna is cooking in the kitchen,” Kristie answered. “Who are you?”

On the other end of the phone, the man caught his breath.

The long silence perturbed Kristie, and she couldn’t help venturing, “Shall I hand the phone over to Rayna?”

“No, it’s okay,” James demurred. Then, he asked, “Is she at your condominium?”

“Yeah. She bought a ton of groceries to cook for me,” Kristie elaborated, a strange feeling welling within her. I don’t think we’re acquainted, but why do I feel like I’ve known him for a long time?

“Eat well, then,” James urged.

“Of course! Rayna’s cooking is delicious. But…” Pausing for a brief second, Kristie asked in curiosity, “Why would you say that? Do you know me?”

“Yes.”

“But I don’t know you. I don’t even have any idea what you look like,” Kristie mused.

“It’s okay. It isn’t too late for us to get acquainted now. I’m your future partner and will keep you company until the end of time.” The man’s voice brimmed with tenderness and affection.

At that, Kristie fell silent.

“My time is up, so I’ve got to turn off my phone. Remember to eat well and wait for me to return.”

By the time Kristie had gathered her wits about her, the call was already disconnected.

A long while passed before she came back to herself and gaped at the phone in disbelief. “My future partner… doesn’t that mean husband? What a strange man! What gives him the right to be my husband?”

But when he said that earlier, I didn’t feel the least bit averse to it. Instead, I was seemingly glad about it.

With the phone in hand, she wanted to ask Rayna about it, but the instant she stepped into the kitchen, she saw that Rayna was bickering with Curtis. “Why did not wash it with salt? Do you not think it is fishy?”

“This is the first time I’m handling salmon. How would I know that I am to wash it with salt?”

“Are you mute? Why couldn’t you have asked me?”

“I asked you earlier, but you told me to google it. Google didn’t say that I have to wash the fish with salt after cutting it.”

And so, they squabbled endlessly.

Kristie decided not to go in and disrupt them, lest they turn their wrath on her.

As she walked toward the living room, she mulled over the phone call a while ago.

Who exactly was that man?

 

Chapter 413

Amidst Rayna and Curtis’ bickering, lunch was finally ready after they had bustled around for an hour.

Kristie had long since finished the bread and cookies. When she adjourned to the dining room to eat, the fragrant aroma of salmon aglio olio had her salivate. She praised Rayna to the skies.

“Your cooking skills are superb, Rayna! I can finish everything here by myself!”

Even when she helped to take the forks, she rambled incessantly, “The man who ends up marrying you is truly lucky!”

With his face devoid of expression, Curtis shot her a look.

Acting entirely ignorant, Kristie continued clinging to Rayna, talking to her while enjoying the salmon aglio olio. She whined about her craving for cookies and begged the latter to bake more in the afternoon.

Rayna was initially worried that she made too much salmon aglio olio, and they couldn’t finish it. Unexpectedly, Curtis and Kristie’s appetites were great.

Not only did they finish the aglio oglio, but they even polished off the other dishes.

Eyeing Curtis, Rayna deliberately commented, “I thought you don’t fancy my cooking, Mr. Faymon.”

“The salmon aglio olio wouldn’t taste good reheated at night, and I didn’t want to waste it, so I reluctantly finished it. After all, Kristie likes eating freshly prepared food,” Curtis countered calmly.

At once, Kristie protested, “I’ve never said that! Evidently, you were the one—”

Curtis threw her a look.

Sensing a chill running down her spine, Kristie harrumphed but didn’t dare speak further. She shook Rayna’s arm. “Don’t make so many cookies later, Rayna. Just bake enough for me alone!”

Rayna patted her on the head. “Okay. You can have whatever kind you like.”

“Hmph! You’re not having any, Curt!” Kristie stuck out her tongue at Curtis.

Smiling, Curtis shook his head. He unlocked his phone, only to see that Jeremy had called an hour ago, but he missed it since his phone was on silent mode. Going over to the window, he returned the call.

“I’ve found James. He’s fine. His school is sending him on an assignment to Xyperia, and I drove him to the airport an hour ago,” Jeremy reported as soon as the call was connected.

“Got it. You can come back now.”

“I can’t do so for the time being. The new location for the lab has been confirmed, so I’ve got to go there and take a look at things. Oh yes, where did you have the heart transplant surgery, Curtis? Do you mind telling me?”

Perplexed, Curtis went silent.

Jeremy continued, “I’d also like to have a heart transplant. Is there any brain transplant there?”

Cottoning on to the ridicule in his words, Curtis sneered, “Yes. Not only can you have a heart and brain transplant there, but they even offer you a free cemetery plot and coffin. I’ll bring you there when you come back.”

He must be itching for a round of beating that he even dared to tease me!

After lunch, Rayna prepared some ingredients again and baked several types of cookies. She baked more this time so that Kristie would have some for tomorrow. On top of that, she even made five mochi balls.

Wiping her hands, she saw that it was pretty late, so she made to leave.

However, Kristie ran over and grabbed her hand, refusing to let go of her. She gazed at Rayna pitifully. “You promised to make dinner for me as well, Rayna. Why are you leaving now?”

“I’m just going back to straighten up my place. I’ll come back at night.” Sitting on the couch, Rayna glanced at the man who was working.

In truth, she felt awkward being around Curtis.

Alas, Kristie promptly whipped out her phone. “I’ll hire someone to help you straighten the place.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ve already done that.”

“In that case, stay and keep me company, Rayna! I’m alone every day without anyone to accompany me,” Kristie lamented.

Rayna said nothing, so she continued begging, “Please, Rayna. Just this one day, okay?”

In the face of her plea, Rayna ultimately caved and nodded. “Okay. Let’s go to your room, then. Someone else wants to use the living room.

Kristie glanced over her shoulder. “Are you speaking of Curt? He’s busy every second of every day. His company isn’t going to go bankrupt even if he doesn’t look at his laptop for an afternoon.”

While saying that, she zipped over to Curtis and confiscated his laptop. “Play a game of cards with me, won’t you, Curt?”

“Cut it out. How are we to play a game of cards with two people?”

“Rayna is here, too! She’ll be staying the entire afternoon to keep me company.” Kristie pointed at Rayna before adding, “The previous time we played, you won a lot from me, and I’m going to win it back today!”

“Oh, really?” Casting his gaze in Rayna’s direction, Curtis arched his brow a fraction.

At that, Rayna rolled her eyes at him and declared with a snort, “I don’t want to see you either. I’m only staying to keep Kristie company.”

Once more, helplessness swamped Curtis.

I didn’t say anything. Is she really that averse to me?

Kristie had a set of poker cards, but she didn’t have a shuffling machine. Carrying the table from the living room to the side of the window, they poured the deck of cards out before shuffling them and starting the game.

Rayna knew how to play poker, but she seldom played and had never done so with Kristie or Curtis.

Since she had never seen the man playing poker, she reckoned that he wasn’t that good at it either.

To her surprise, he ended up winning every round, so much so that her blood boiled.

Shoving her chair back, she got up and snarled, “Swap places with me!”

“Ms. Garland, this is a matter of skills and has nothing to do with our places. Your skills are horrible, so you’re not going to win even if we swap places.”

“Are you going to do it or what?” Rayna brandished her fist at him.

“Okay, okay, I’ll swap with you.” Chuckling in exasperation, Curtis switched places with her.

After they had done so, Kristie started winning instead.

The tremendous loss had depression flood Rayna.

Having played for a round, Rayna inwardly rejoiced upon seeing that the hand of cards was rather good. Hopefully, I can win this round!

When she got a pair of aces, she called for a show hand right away.

“Ah, I won! Thank you, Rayna!” Kristie excitedly spread her cards out.

Crap! She got a straight.

The corners of Rayna’s mouth twitched.

“You’re welcome…”

Later, Curtis received a call from the office. He had a meeting with the executives as he played poker with them.

Sometimes, he would make the wrong move in a moment of inattention, and Rayna would capitalize on it.

By half past six in the evening, she had already won back her losses and even had a few thousand to spare.

Stuffing the money into her bag, she happily declared, “I’m going to cook dinner. What would you like to eat, Kristie?”

“Anything!”

When she had gone into the kitchen, Kristie instantly dashed over to Curtis and held her hand out to him. “Pay up, Curt.”

Alas, Curtis remained unmoved. “I didn’t win your money.”

“At the end there, you were helping Rayna all along. Do you think I was ignorant of that? If you don’t pay up, I’ll tell Rayna about it!” Kristie snorted.

Curtis pinched her cheek. “I’m feeding and clothing you, yet you’re blackmailing me?”

“Are you paying or not?” Seeing that he remained unmoved, Kristie made to go to the kitchen.

Curtis yanked her back and took out his wallet, querying helplessly, “How much?”

“Five thousand!”

Taking out the bills in there, Curtis gave them all to her. “This is all I’ve got.”

Kristie curled her lips, dissatisfaction deluging her at once. “Only three thousand and seven hundred? No, you’ve got to write me an IOU for the remainder!”

“You’ve got an eight-figure balance on your card. Do you lack this paltry sum of money?”

“Nope, but winning your money gives me a sense of accomplishment!” All triumphant, Kristie snagged a piece of pen and paper before handing them to the man. “Write an IOU. Otherwise, I’m going to tell Rayna all about your secret.”

Meanwhile, Rayna, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, had absolutely no inkling of their conversation.

Dinner was macaroni and cheese.

Kristie ate two huge servings and was so full that she couldn’t get up from the chair. That gave Rayna such a fright that she swiftly took a digestive pill for her, afraid that her stomach might burst.

 

Chapter 414

Soon, it was already past nine at night. As it was getting late, Rayna felt that it was time for her to head home.

Kristie did not stop her from leaving but merely asked to catch up at her place next time when she was less busy. Rayna readily agreed.

As Curtis was intending to leave as well, he grabbed his laptop and left together with Rayna.

Rayna was about to press the “close” button in the elevator when Curtis stepped in. The woman froze for a second before saying, “I’m going up. Why did you come in? You, you…”

“I didn’t want to wait outside,” Curtis replied placidly before continuing, “It’s warmer inside the elevator.”

How can it be cold outside when there’s central air-conditioning in the corridor?

Rayna commented inwardly while watching the elevator numbers light up in ascending order.

Even though there was an arm’s length distance between the two of them, Rayna could still smell the faint scent of tobacco on Curtis and feel his cold aura.

The woman shifted her gaze from the display panel to the elevator door. From the reflection, she could see Curtis looking down while scrolling on his phone with his slender finger.

The man had a tall build and carried himself in a mature and elegant manner.

Rayna started spacing out as she recalled that night when Curtis grabbed her feet and kissed her tenderly while looking at her affectionately as if she was the most precious treasure in the world.

Was that really him?

If it was him, why did he go off the next morning after leaving some money behind without sparing a thought for my feelings? Moreover, he looked really annoyed when we met again after we returned to the country.

As Rayna’s eyes shifted downward, she saw that Curtis had buttoned his shirt to the top, and his neck was barely visible.

Underneath that shirt were the man’s abs and Apollo’s belt that she had already seen and touched before.

Just then, Curtis looked up at the elevator door and met Rayna’s gaze. A faint smile appeared on his face as he asked, “Ms. Garland, aren’t you going to wipe off the drool on your face?”

Rayna wiped the corners of her lips at once but realized that there was nothing there.

When she turned around, she noticed the teasing glint in Curtis’ eyes and could feel herself simmering in anger.

What a scoundrel!

Just then, the babies in Rayna’s belly started throwing tantrums and launched a few powerful kicks against her stomach wall.

Rayna furrowed her brows as she clutched her belly with one hand.

Curtis’ expression changed when he noticed that. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” he asked softly and leaned in.

“I’m all right,” Rayna replied calmly, not wanting him to sense her discomfort. “I think I ate too much just now. I’m just having a bit of indigestion.”

The gaze in Curtis’ eyes darkened as he recalled that the woman was also feeling unwell earlier in the afternoon.

When the elevator door opened, the man held Rayna by the arm and said, “Let me walk you back. I’ll leave after that.”

“No need.” Rayna felt uneasy at the thought of Curtis holding other women the same way before and instinctively flung his hand away. “I can walk on my own.”

After saying that, she walked out of the elevator and disappeared from Curtis’ sight after the elevator door closed.

The man’s hand froze midair before he lowered it slowly. He was feeling frustrated as he could not understand why he was still so concerned about Rayna when they have already broken up.

Gabriel, who had been waiting for a while outside the condominium, opened the car door at once when he saw Curtis walking out.

“Mr. Faymon…” Gabriel greeted the man and was going to ask him about Kristie when he noticed the cold expression on his face. The assistant swallowed his words as a shiver ran down his spine.

He could tell that his boss was not in a good mood and decided that it was safer for him to keep quiet.

Gabriel got into the car cautiously and drove off silently, making sure that he did not do anything that might trigger Curtis.

The dome light in the car was switched on, illuminating Curtis’ face.

The man was sitting with his legs crossed as he reviewed some documents. As his neck was aching after working for a while, he turned toward the side and saw that it was completely dark outside.

After staring out of the window for a few minutes, Curtis reached into his suit pocket and took out a blue silk scarf. It was the only item belonging to Rayna that was still with him.

As he thought about the moment in the elevator when the woman flung his hand away, his expression turned gloomy.

Letting out a deep sigh, the man muttered under his breath, “She won’t know how much I love her.”

If he did not have any feelings for her, he would not have traveled to Yartran to help her just because he was worried that something bad might happen to her. If he did not love her, he would not be so hung up on her even though they had already broken up. In fact, at times, he missed her so much that his heart ached.

However, Curtis did not want to be the one giving in all the time.

However, he had his pride as a man, and it was unacceptable to him that Rayna kept helping other men.

Besides, the woman had a complicated relationship with Jefferson.

Gabriel had heard what Curtis said and knew at once who the “she” his boss was referring to was.

“Mr. Faymon, honestly…” Gabriel wanted to tell Curtis that Rayna still had feelings for him. However, he swallowed his words when he remembered what Stella had told him previously.

He was worried that he would be bearing the brunt of the couple’s rage if he interfered and things became worse between Rayna and Curtis.

“What did you want to say?” Curtis asked.

“Nothing. I wanted to inform you that we will be reaching soon.” Gabriel cleared his throat before continuing, “I was worried that you might have fallen asleep.”

Curtis hummed in response. Suddenly, he noticed a faint fragrance of bluebells that reminded him of the perfume Rayna frequently used. At the same time, he had also detected the pungent smell of incense.

With a deep crease between his brows, the man asked his assistant, “Who else sat in your car today?”

“Ms. Zink returned to the country this morning, and I picked her up at the airport.” Noticing Curtis’ grim expression through the rearview mirror, Gabriel could feel his heart leaping to his throat. Proceeding cautiously, he said, “Umm… I also ran into Ms. Garland and gave her a lift back to the city. Mr. Faymon, is there a problem?”

“Stop the car!” Curtis ordered coldly.

Gabriel slammed on the brakes immediately. When he turned around and was about to ask Curtis what the matter was, he saw the man removing his jacket and getting out of the car, leaving his jacket behind.

“Come back and pick me up in another car,” Curtis said to Gabriel with a sharp gaze in his eyes. “In the future, apart from Rayna and me, no one else is allowed to sit in my car. If you are intending to fetch someone else, you can either use the company car or your own car. Also, send my car for a car wash and get new leather covers for the seats. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Mr. Faymon, is there anything else?” Gabriel answered weakly.

“Get lost right now and come back in another car!”

The assistant quickly drove off while Curtis remained standing in the cold breeze at the roadside. Gabriel was speechless when he looked at the GPS and saw that they were only half a mile away from their destination.

My dear Mr. Faymon, we only had half a mile more to go. The mansion is just around the corner! Did you really have to get out of the car?

But…

As Gabriel thought back about Curtis’ usual behavior and style of doing things, he felt secretly gleeful. It seems like Mr. Faymon isn’t interested in Stella at all. If that’s the case, what’s with the news?”

Rayna wanted to rest at home for two days before visiting Linda.

Unexpectedly, an assistant from Glory called her, reminding her that it was the day of the company’s general meeting and asking if she would be going to the office that day.

Rayna was still half asleep when she answered the phone and was wondering who Glory was and why they wanted to meet her.

She only snapped out of her groggy state after a while and remembered that Glory was one of the companies that Boniel had allocated to Jefferson. The headquarter of the company was located in the capital and had a branch office that was located in the financial district of Norwal City.

Rayna called the assistant back at once and was informed that the meeting would be held at ten in the morning. She heaved a sigh of relief before getting out of bed to wash up and have breakfast.

Before she left the house, she picked up a pair of high heels, but after a moment of hesitation, she decided to wear a pair of flats instead.

After all, she was carrying three babies in her belly, and it would be a disaster if she was not careful and fell.

When Rayna got to the garage, she swept the dust off her Mercedes-Benz before driving off.

As it was already past nine in the morning, the peak hour for everyone to get to work was already over.

While waiting at a traffic light, Rayna took out her lipstick from her bag for some touching up. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a cool-looking red sports car stopping beside her.

Eh?

The woman looked toward her right and realized that the sports car was similar to the one Wyatt had previously driven.

 

Chapter 415

Rayna lowered her head slightly and squinted as she tried to take a better look at the inside of the car.

As the car did not have tinted windows, it only took Rayna a second to see who the driver of the car was. Indeed, it was Wyatt.

Just then, she saw a slender hand reaching out from the passenger seat, passing an uncapped bottle of mineral water to the man.

Rayna was rendered speechless.

Why is he driving a sports car with his pregnant wife in it?

However, a creased appeared between Rayna’s brows the next instant when she noticed a small tattoo on the woman’s finger in addition to her thin wrist.

Huh?

When did Jessie get a tattoo?

As they were in the middle of the road, it was not convenient for Rayna to get out of the car to greet them. As such, she rolled down the car window while reaching into her bag for her phone, intending to call them.

After Rayna lowered her window, and while she was waiting for Wyatt to pick up the phone, the woman in the passenger seat suddenly leaned over to kiss Wyatt. She had long green hair and was not Jessica!

“F*ck!” Rayna cursed as her expression darkened.

She tried calling Wyatt a few times, but the man did not seem to notice his phone ringing. Rayna clenched her teeth in frustration when she realized that Wyatt might have already blocked her number.

She looked around before picking up an accessory from her car dashboard.

Just as she was about to throw it at Wyatt’s car, the traffic light turned green.

When Rayna looked out of her window again, Wyatt’s car was already nowhere to be seen.

As the vehicles behind her started honking impatiently, she quickly started her car and began driving. Rayna wanted to chase after Wyatt, but the assistant from Glory called again, asking her where she was.

She had no choice but to give up the idea as it was an important day for her, given that it was the day she was supposed to start work at the new office.

“Wyatt, you scumb*g! Just wait! I will come for you after I’m done with my work!”

She thought that Wyatt had already stopped playing the field, but it seemed like a leopard could never change its spots. How dare he drive another woman around in his sports car when his wife is pregnant!

Around twenty minutes later, Rayna arrived at the financial district.

Norwal City had a large financial district that was occupied by both small and established companies in the finance industry. As the industry’s most prominent player, Faymon Group and its subsidiaries took up the entire south end of the area while the other businesses were situated in the north.

After locating the building where Glory’s office was, Rayna drove her car into the underground parking lot.

The companies on the north end of the financial district were mostly on a smaller scale. Apart from a few bigger companies that owned their own office buildings like Faymon Group, the rest of the businesses were all housed in the same building. As such, the office lobby was usually very crowded.

For most companies, office hours started at nine or ten in the morning. As such, during those hours, the elevators were always packed.

Rayna was squeezed into the back of the elevator as more people entered. She carried her bag in front of her to protect the babies in her belly.

A few women, who seemed to be from the same company, started gossiping as the elevator slowly moved up.

“Have you guys heard the news? We have a new CEO.”

“Yeah! I heard that the new CEO is of mixed blood. It seems like his family has been doing business in Epea all along.”

“Mixed blood? He must be really handsome. I can’t wait to see him!”

“Don’t even start dreaming. I heard that he is already attached. Anyway, do you guys know who he has appointed as the new vice CEO? We have been told to pay more attention to our appearances as the new vice CEO will be reporting to the office today.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Rayna who was previously from Faymon Group. Shocking, right?”

“Why is it her?” Another woman said enviously in a rather dramatic tone, “I heard that she used to date Mr. Faymon. Do you think she is our new CEO’s girlfriend? If that’s the case, she must be the luckiest woman in the world.”

“Ha! She’s just an interpreter. Do you think it’s that easy for an interpreter to switch to such a different role? Who knows what tricks she played to achieve that!”

“Well, now that you’ve mentioned it, it does seem pretty suspicious.”

Although Rayna was not interested in listening to their gossip initially, she started paying attention after hearing her name.

Toward the end of the conversation, those women were practically insinuating that she was a sl*t who slept her way up the ladder.

Rayna raised her brows when she heard that but quickly got over it.

Back then, when she became the acting CEO of Faymon Group, she had heard comments about her that were way worse than that. As such, she was already immune from such things.

Rayna looked up and secretly took note of the women’s faces and employee numbers.

Since they were from the same company, it was just a matter of time that she settled scores with them.

In order to facilitate more efficient communication between different departments, some of the companies in the building had bought entire floors and hacked all the connecting walls, creating just one big working area. That was also the case for Glory, which occupied the entire fifty-third to fifty-fifth floors.

Rayna pressed the elevator button and headed straight to the fifty-fifth floor. While waiting, she flipped through the documents in her hands.

She had previously wondered why the Terblanc family was not established in Aploth even though they had businesses in the region. After reviewing the documents, she found out that Glory belonged to the

Terblanc family in name, but they only held very little interest in the company and did not profit much from it.

Glory’s board of directors had only decided on a change of the company’s CEO after Boniel showed them the bet-on agreement. However, if Jefferson made any serious mistakes that were detrimental to the company, the board of directors would still have the right to get someone else to replace him.

Even though Jefferson was also on the board of directors, he did not have any actual power. Besides, as the Terblanc family was not the company’s major shareholder, the man did not have any influence on the board of directors.

If Rayna had known earlier that that would be the situation, she would have asked Jefferson to act pitifully in front of Boniel and ask for a company in which he held more shares so that he would have more power over the board of directors.

Despite being on the board of directors, Jefferson had no say in any of the company matters. As long as Arnaud placed his men in Glory’s upper management and dealt a blow at Jefferson right before the end of the three-year period of the agreement, that would be the end of Jefferson.

Alas! This is such a difficult situation.

Rayna let out a sigh. Soon, the elevator stopped at the fifty-fifth floor, and she walked out.

A woman, who was carrying a tablet, was standing next to the elevator and seemed to have been waiting for some time. She walked up to Rayna and asked politely, “Are you Ms. Rayna Garland?”

Rayna stopped in her tracks and smiled at the woman. “One week ago, the headquarters had held a meeting to appoint a new CEO and vice CEO. Are you my assistant? I’m sure you would have already gotten the memo from the headquarters.”

Rayna was dressed in a dark grey business suit and wearing a crystal brooch, giving her a serious look with a hint of feminine charm.

Although she was speaking in a composed manner, she had an imposing presence.

The assistant immediately lowered her head and said, “Ms. Garland, please let me take you to the conference room.”

“Thank you.”

After Rayna and her assistant disappeared out of sight, the other employees, who had been holding their breaths, started discussing among themselves.

“Did you feel that powerful aura? As expected of someone who had worked in Faymon Group.”

The assistant quickly opened the door when they arrived at the conference room.

Rayna strolled in slowly and scanned the room. The chairs around the meeting table were fully occupied.

Everyone had their gazes fixed on Rayna the moment she entered the room.

The assistant led the woman to the head of the table and introduced her. “As everyone already knows, the headquarters has appointed a new CEO recently. This is Ms. Rayna Garland, our vice CEO who is personally appointed by the CEO.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Garland,” everyone greeted Rayna.

“It’s my pleasure to meet all of you too. I look forward to working together with everyone,” Rayna replied with a smile before glancing at her watch. “It’s time to start the meeting. Let’s do it the usual way!”

“Sure.”

The projector behind Rayna was turned on and two thick stacks of documents were placed on the table in front of her.

Then, the various heads of department started taking turns to report the situations in their departments to Rayna.

 

Chapter 416

The executives seemed to want to intimidate the newly appointed Rayna, as they spoke very fast when reporting without having any consideration for her and even used abbreviations for some professional terminology.

However, Rayna maintained a neutral expression the entire time, scanning through the documents on the table while listening to the reports from the various departments.

She sat there with her legs crossed, radiating a powerful aura.

By the time the executives finished reporting their work, Rayna had also finished reading all those documents.

She praised herself inwardly as she swept her gaze over the two thick stacks of documents on the table. After remaining beside Curtis for so long, I have even picked up his multitasking skills.

The image of the man’s calm and composed demeanor that suddenly popped into her head made her heart twinge.

What’s the point of thinking about him? That man has long found a new love. How could he possibly remember me?

Seeing that Rayna had not spoken a word, the assistant beside her carefully inquired, “Do you have anything to say, Ms. Garland?”

“Yes.” Rayna took a deep breath to suppress the irritation in her heart before taking out one of the documents and hurling it to the center of the conference table, making everyone jump and look at her.

She then instructed the assistant flatly, “Open this year’s first quarterly report.”

“Right away.” The assistant did as she was told, and the pie chart of the quarterly report soon appeared on the projector screen.

“Is this the first quarterly report?” Rayna pointed at the projector, her gaze piercing. “At the beginning of this year, the company launched three new products with an A-list celebrity as spokesperson, and the promotion expenses were higher than last year. But why is the revenue for this first quarterly report not as good as last year’s? Not only was the spokesperson for the few new products launched at the same time last year a D-list celebrity, but the expenses were also lower.”

Someone from the marketing department spoke up. “Ms. Garland, those few products last year sold well because they rode on the popularity of a movie. There’s no such thing this year, so—”

“So it’s understandable that the first quarterly report isn’t as good as last year’s even if we hire an A-list celebrity and spend so much on promotion?” Rayna smiled as she completed his words. “Is that right?”

Her stare sent chills down the marketing department executive’s spine, leaving him at a loss for words.

Rayna continued flatly, “You’re working in the core department of the company. The success of the product depends on you. If you invest so much and the results aren’t as good as they were the previous year, then it’s your fault. The headquarters only read the first quarterly report. They don’t care and aren’t interested in the process. If they discover that the branch company’s expenses haven’t kept up with its revenues, they’ll hold a meeting to discuss replacing employees or making layoffs. Following that, if the figures in the annual report don’t exceed their expectation, the entire company will undergo a complete overhaul.”

She tapped her slender fingers on the table. “I don’t think any of you would want to witness a terrible outcome like that.”

After saying that, she lowered her gaze and scrutinized everyone, observing that all the executives were silent and looked worried.

It was apparent that she had succeeded in frightening them.

Rayna softened her tone slightly, “I’ve discussed with the headquarters about setting up benefits for everyone when I came here. After the quarterly report is released, everyone in the department who performs well can receive a double amount of the quarterly bonus. The same goes for the year-end bonus.”

She could see the eyes of many executives lighting up and blazing with excitement as soon as those words left her mouth.

Motivating people with money is the most practical approach.

Rayna took in all their various emotions. “I’ll deliver the first quarterly report on schedule to the headquarters and take the flak for you all, but I’m hoping that the figures on the semi-annual report would please everyone. If that report is still unsatisfactory, I’ll talk to every department and consider hiring replacements. Is that clear?”

She raised her voice, grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Yes!”

“Okay, then that’s it for today’s meeting.” Rayna pushed back her chair and got up. “I’m going back to my office.”

There was silence until she left, after which the tense atmosphere in the conference room instantly turned lively.

The many executives exchanged looks, and they all saw a trace of fear in each other’s eyes. After the meeting that day, they learned that the newly appointed vice CEO appeared friendly but was not one to be trifled with.

Soon, the contents of the meeting spread throughout the company, including the benefits set by Rayna.

Only after some people bragged about it to their social circles did other companies learn that Glory’s CEO had changed. The new vice CEO previously worked for Hatchair Group and Faymon Group and used to be the CEO of Faymon Group’s secret girlfriend.

It did not take long for the news to spread among social circles and become the talk of the town.

Curtis never paid attention to those gossip forums, so he did not know which company Rayna went to. As for the latter, she was too preoccupied with paperwork at her new workplace to take notice of the gossip.

Despite being busy, Rayna still cared a lot about the babies, so she would take a break and eat whenever she felt hungry.

She would regularly work for four or five hours straight in her office.

At three in the afternoon, Ella, her assistant, knocked on the door and entered the office with a file in one hand and a beautiful cake in the other. “Ms. Garland, this is the fruit cake you requested. I told the shop owner to add only oranges and kiwis. It doesn’t contain any other fruits.”

Rayna raised her head from the document and smiled at the other woman. “Okay. I’m sorry for troubling you today by making you run around outside. The snacks I ordered online will be delivered tomorrow.”

“I’m just doing my job as your assistant.” Ella placed the file on the table before continuing, “The company will launch a new fragrance next month. Here is the relevant information. Please take a look.”

Rayna took the file and flipped it open while Ella swiftly opened the cake box, sliced the cake, and handed a slice over.

“Thank you,” Rayna said as she accepted the plate.

The cream was not overly sweet and melted in her mouth. On the other hand, the orange was overflowing with sweetness when she bit into it, and she found it a little hard to swallow.

She hurriedly spat it out on the paper.

“What’s the matter, Ms. Garland?” Ella asked nervously when she saw that. “I watched the shop owner make the cake. He whipped the cream with the oranges on the spot. I even tasted the oranges. Does it not suit your taste?”

Rayna nodded and replied helplessly, “Yes. I want to eat oranges, but this orange doesn’t taste right.”

As soon as I tasted it, my stomach started churning.

“I heard from the shop owner that they are premium oranges imported from Hallsbay, and they aren’t cheap.”

“I’m pickier with my food,” Rayna replied while massaging her temples.

I’m pregnant, but I can’t let anyone find out about it, so I can only take the blame for the babies.

“I’ll buy you another one then.”

“That won’t be necessary. You must be exhausted after running around all day today.” Rayna stopped her and continued after some thought, “I recalled that Faymon Group previously purchased an orchard, and the fruits there are good. If you have time, find out the phone number of the orchard and order some fruits for me.”

Ella nodded. “Okay. I’ll look into it later. If there isn’t anything else, I’ll go out now.”

“Mm. Go ahead.”

The orange cake was tossed to the side by Rayna as she simply could not eat it. Instead, she took the leftover biscuits from morning and munched on them while looking through the documents.

Glory specialized in cosmetics and perfumes. Naturally, they could not compete with luxury brands in the cosmetics market, but their global sales were quite good. Every new fragrance they had previously launched would swiftly become the most popular in Aploth.

Glory’s profits had, however, plunged ever since their chief perfumer was poached by a big brand five years ago, and in that period of time, they had gone through three different perfumers. Ultimately, it was not until the headquarters poached a great perfumer from a big brand that their revenue gradually stabilized. It was short-lived, though, as it worsened once more over the past two years.

The new fragrance was not their perfumer’s final product, but rather, it was purchased for a handsome price by the headquarters from someone else. The company executives even signed a bet-on agreement with other companies.

Chapter 417

If a party won the bet, they would get double the amount. And if they lost, they would have to give five percent of the company’s shares to the other party.

Rayna was baffled after reading it. What on earth were the headquarters’ higher-ups thinking? Are they unaware of the company’s situation? Still, they had the guts to make a bet? It’s obvious the other party has dug into Glory’s performance before stating the terms.

Rayna sat there for quite some time until she finally returned to her senses. She then used the internal line to call Ella. “Send me all the business plans, promotional copies, and videos of every new perfume released by the company in the past three years.”

“All right, Ms. Garland. Please hold on for a moment.”

About ten minutes later, Rayna received an email from Ella containing all the information she requested.

Seeing that, Rayna began clicking into every document according to the date it was created, taking breaks whenever she was tired. When it was time to get off work, she would bring work home and settle some urgent matters too.

It took her two whole days to finish watching all the videos. After comparing the business plans for the new perfumes, she immediately realized where the problem lay. Glory’s business plan was horrible.

Rayna found the entire situation unbelievable. The planning department was responsible for the promotion of cosmetic products and perfumes, yet the videos for the cosmetic products were rather outstanding while the ones for the perfumes were on the other end of the spectrum.

In the past, Rayna would have changed the higher-ups and given the planning department some time to mull over it. This time, however, a bet was involved, and losing would mean losing the company’s shares. Hence, Rayna did not dare to risk it.

Three years was not a long period, but she could not let Jefferson fail right at the beginning.

Thus, Rayna quickly searched up for well-known advertising groups on her computer, only to find that she was most satisfied with Faymon Group.

Faymon Group’s team of lawyers and planning department were one of the best in the industry. In fact, no other companies could top them.

Unfortunately, getting help from Faymon Group would cost a lot.

After careful consideration, Rayna searched for the phone number of Faymon Group’s secretarial department and called using the landline.

The call went through almost instantly. “Hello. This is the secretarial department of Faymon Group.”

“Hello. Is this Mr. Tylinski?” Rayna was surprised to hear Gabriel’s voice.

Likewise, Gabriel froze. “M-Ms. Garland?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“I noticed the call is from Glory. Are you working at Glory now?”

Rayna hummed in response. She then asked in curiosity, “Aren’t you supposed to be busy at work now? You should be tagging along with Mr. Faymon everywhere he goes. Why are you answering the phone in the office?”

“Well, it’s a long story…” Gabriel began guiltily. “I made a mistake back then. Mr. Faymon was displeased with me, so he’s giving me the cold shoulder purposely. It’s Ms. Turner’s week to plan his schedule.”

Rayna laughed for a little while and consoled him, “It’s okay. Answering the phone is better than going to Norham’s branch.”

Gabriel sighed. “I agree. Anyway, what can I do for you, Ms. Garland?”

“Can you ask Ms. Turner when will Mr. Faymon be free? I’d like to make an appointment with him to discuss a business proposal.”

“Please hold on.”

With that, the other end of the call went silent. Gabriel had left momentarily to process her request.

Two minutes later, he picked up the phone again and said, “Ms. Turner isn’t in the office, but Mr. Faymon is back. He’s on the way to his office now. I’ll transfer your call to his line.”

“Oh, it’s fine—” Alas, the call was transferred to the CEO’s office before she could even decline.

She could not help but feel a little nervous when she heard the tune over the phone.

Arranging a time to meet with Curtis was better than having to talk to him over a phone call when she was not prepared. I don’t know what to say.

“Hello, this is the CEO’s office of Faymon Group.”

Just as Rayna was holding her breath and racking her brains on what to say, a familiar feminine voice traveled through the speakers as soon as the call was connected. Rayna felt as though a bucket of ice- cold water was dumped onto her head.

She knew the owner of the voice. It was Stella Zink.

Didn’t Mr. Tylinski say Curtis is back and should be reaching his office soon? Stella’s from the Department of Regulators. Why is she the one answering the call if Curtis is in the office? Maybe Stella entered the office with him? Or maybe they’re close.

Rayna did not know why she was so sensitive upon hearing Stella’s voice. The former could not help but wonder why Stella was in the office and if something was going on between Curtis and Stella in the office.

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved and uncomfortable she felt.

When there was no response from Rayna after a long time, Stella repeated, “Hello? Is there something you have to say?”

Hearing that, Rayna shut her eyes and calmed herself before speaking politely. “I’m the vice CEO of Glory. May I know when will Mr. Faymon be free? I’d like to ask him out for a meal.”

Surprised, Stella asked, “Ms. Garland, you’re working for Glory now?”

“Yes. Can you pass the phone to Mr. Faymon?” Rayna was getting a little impatient.

I’ve already revealed the company’s name, and this woman is still acting as if she’s shocked to find out I’m working here.

“I’m sorry. Mr. Faymon isn’t here.”

Not there? Is he not there or does he not want to answer my call?

Pressing her lips into a thin line, Rayna said, “Then, please tell Ms. Turner to reserve an hour of Mr. Faymon’s time for Glory. We’d really like to collaborate with Faymon Group.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Garland, but Mr. Faymon’s schedule for this week is full. However, I’ll ask Ms. Turner to find out if he’s free next week,” said Stella apologetically.

Rayna could not help but feel her heart sink when she heard how natural those words came out of Stella’s mouth.

Stella’s from the Department of Regulators, not the secretarial department. How does she know that Curtis’ schedule is packed? Is she that close to him that she can casually ask the secretarial department about his schedule?

“Okay. Sorry for the trouble,” said Rayna before hastily ending the call for fear of not being able to keep a rein on her emotions.

Meanwhile, at the CEO’s office of Faymon Group, Stella heard the door open behind her the moment she hung up.

Immediately, she spun around and saw Curtis entering.

His face was expressionless, and he moved in a mature and steady manner, exuding an imposing aura at the same time.

“Mr. Faymon.”

Curtis shot her a sharp look. “You’re a manager, not a secretary. You have no right to answer the phone. Besides, this is the CEO’s office and not the secretarial department.”

“I’m sorry. I answered it because I feared it was an emergency call. Anyway, it’s from a small company called Glory. They want to work with Faymon Group. I’ve asked them to contact the secretarial department to arrange a time for you to meet them,” explained Stella with her head slightly lowered.

Curtis’ gaze darkened, and he spoke in a threatening tone. “So? Am I supposed to thank you?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Faymon. I have crossed the line.”

“This is not your first time.” Curtis walked over and tossed the newspapers at her. “Those pictures were taken using a cinematic camera, right? Look at how great the angles are. How much did it cost you?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve just returned to the country and my foothold is not that strong. So, I wanted to use your name. It’s my fault for not thinking this through,” said Stella gently while standing with a perfect posture.

Curtis snapped coldly, “Faymon Group paid you to work. You should be dealing with the work on your own. Do you have any idea how much trouble it’ll cause me if everyone uses my name like that? I’ll be on headlines every other day!”

The overwhelming aura he exuded made it hard for Stella to look up. “I’m sorry. I’ll—”

He interrupted, “Of course, you’re going to deal with this. You’re going to spend as much money as it cost to get those pictures and articles taken down from all the websites. Get it done by seven tonight.”

“Of course. I’ll take my leave first,” Stella responded.

Not moving from his spot, Curtis remarked, “You’re not qualified enough for this position. The reason I’m giving you the position is all because of Gabriel. Ms. Zink, you’re a pretty and intelligent woman. Please don’t come up with inappropriate schemes. I’m not interested in educating another woman. Besides, you’re not her.”

 

 

Chapter 418

Stella gripped the newspaper tightly without realizing her knuckles had turned white. “Y-Yes, Mr. Faymon. I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that, she scurried out of the office.

Curtis originally wanted to deal with some documents, but the smell of smoke made him frown. Hence, he went to the secretarial department to look for Gabriel. “Since you’re so free, why don’t you clean my office and freshen the air there?”

“All right. I’ll get it done right away.” Gabriel knew Curtis was still mad at him, so he promptly accepted the task and scurried off for fear of the latter transferring him to the branch office in Norham.

Not long after, Tilly returned to the office, greeting Curtis politely when she saw the latter hanging around in the secretarial department.

Curtis instructed her, “Look into Glory.”

Of course, Tilly did as told and soon came back with results. “Mr. Faymon, Glory is a company that sells cosmetics and perfumes. The headquarters is in the capital, while its branch is located north of the financial center. Apparently, they’ve changed their CEO, who’s not here yet. So, they sent the vice CEO over.”

Upon reading the vice CEO’s name and the rumors in the industry, Tilly subconsciously peeked at Curtis.

Uh… Should I tell him the rest?

However, Curtis clearly did not have the patience to hear the rest. He asked, “Are they up to anything these days?”

Tilly instantly answered, “Yes. They’re launching a new perfume. Glory has bought out a perfume formula from another company at a handsome price. They even signed a bet-on agreement with Daystar, the company under Faymon Group.”

The look in Curtis’ eyes darkened. “Print that agreement out for me.”

“Sure. Please hold on for a moment.” Tilly hurriedly contacted someone from Daystar and got the contents of the bet-on agreement.

After printing it, she handed it to Curtis, saying, “Daystar’s CCO has told me to inform you that Glory’s business plan and promotion aren’t great.”

“Mm. I got it,” responded Curtis as he lowered his head to flip through the agreement.

When he had finished reading it and processed what the CCO of Daystar had said, he could roughly figure out why Glory called Faymon Group.

Glory’s product planning needed to be outsourced, and they wanted to get help from Faymon Group.

However, Faymon Group did not rely on cosmetics. Hence, they would never bother to entertain small companies like that. Moreover, Daystar had already signed a bet-on agreement with Glory. Giving the latter help would only harm Faymon Group’s own interests.

With that, Curtis returned the document to Tilly and said without hesitation, “Shred this. Since Daystar and Glory have a bet-on agreement, you can reject any future calls from Glory without informing me.”

“Got it.” Tilly took the document from his hands and shredded it.

About half an hour later, Gabriel, who had gone to clean Curtis’ office returned. “Mr. Faymon, your office is clean now. I’ve also placed some fresh bellflowers on your table. I’m sure your room will smell great once you enter it.”

Curtis’ face clouded over, and he glared at Gabriel. “Did I ask you to get flowers?”

Goosebumps rose all over Gabriel as he froze to the spot. “I heard you talking about flowering bellflowers back then, so I thought you liked—”

After receiving the death glare from Curtis, Gabriel spluttered, “I-I’ll get it changed now!”

“Forget it!” Curtis snapped. He then tossed a keycard to Gabriel. “Go to my house and take Happy and Lucky out for a bath. Tell the shop owner to give their claws a trim. After that, take them for a walk in the park.”

Gabriel peered at his watch and uttered cautiously, “N-Now? Mr. Faymon, it’s almost the end of office hours, and I have something to attend to tonight. Can I do it tomorrow? I’ll go to your house early in the morning.”

Raising a brow, Curtis said plainly, “Now. I want them to watch the sunset.”

Curtis left Gabriel bereft of words.

What on earth? Since when did his pets learn to watch sunsets?

When Curtis returned to his office, he felt that the air was much fresher.

The sight of the fresh flowers and their subtle fragrance reminded him of Rayna. He subconsciously massaged his temples when he recalled the way she rejected him in the elevator that day.

Since when did I become so emotional? Ugh. I have no self-control at all. This is not like me. We’ve already broken up, and she’s left the relationship behind her. So, why can’t I do the same?

Curtis was completely absorbed in his thoughts. It took him some time to realize his phone was vibrating on the table. At that, he picked it up and noticed the caller was the person in charge of the orchard.

He swiped the screen to answer it. “Hello. What’s the matter?”

“It’s like this. An assistant from Glory called just now. They’d like to order ten kilograms of oranges and apples from our orchard. I wasn’t sure if you were the one who gave the order, so I put her on hold to call you.”

Glory called our orchard?

The frown on Curtis’ forehead deepened. Not only do they want to get our help, but they also want to buy our exclusive fruits. How bold!

“Mr. Faymon, did you give them permission to do so? Are you collaborating with this company?”

“It’s just a small company. We never interacted with them. Don’t sell the fruits to them. One more thing. Blacklist this company,” Curtis uttered plainly.

The person on the other end gave a brief response but did not hang up right away. He hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “Mr. Faymon, our greenhouse oranges taste great this year. Doesn’t Ms. Garland like them? Should I send some over to her?”

“Why? Are you that free to send someone else stuff?” The coldness and displeasure in Curtis’ tone of voice were palpable.

“I-I was just asking—”

Curtis ordered coldly, “Pack some and give them out to those working closely with Faymon Group. If there are extras, send them to Wyatt’s club as a treat for the premium clients.”

“I’ll get that arranged right away. I’ll hang up now,” said the person in charge with a quiver in his voice before hanging up hastily.

Curtis, on the other hand, did not move. He stared at his phone in silence.

What’s the point of giving it to her? That woman won’t even appreciate it. Instead, it’ll look like I still care about her.

Ever since that phone call, Rayna could not fall asleep that night. She felt incredibly uneasy.

It was not because Curtis refused to discuss the collaboration, but because Stella answered the call.

It’s the CEO’s office, not the secretarial department. She’s not Mr. Tylinski, either. What gives her the right to answer the calls in his office? Maybe she and Curtis were doing something intimate there.

Her mind was flooded with all kinds of scenarios the entire night. As a result, she woke up feeling exhausted.

On the way to the office, Rayna received a call from Jefferson telling her that something happened to the company in Jetroina. Hence, he needed to go over and check on things before going to Chanaea.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be here. Just focus on settling things with the company there. It’s not too late even if you come here a month later,” Rayna assured with a smile.

Hearing that, Jefferson reminded tenderly, “Okay. Take good care of yourself and the babies. Call me if there’s anything.”

“Okay.”

The moment Rayna arrived at Glory, Ella approached her with a conflicted expression. “Ms. Garland, the contact person from Faymon Group’s orchard says the oranges are sold out. And when I gave them another call, I realized our number is blocked.”

Rayna pursed her lips as she figured the other party said that on purpose. “The fruits there are specially planted for their collaborators. There’s no way they’re sold out. They just didn’t want to sell them to us.”

“There’s one more thing,” Ella said, stealing a glance at Rayna. She then continued with hesitation, “I wanted to arrange a meeting for you with Mr. Faymon, but Ms. Turner from the secretarial department says his schedule is full for the next two months. And… she blocked my number, too.”

 

Chapter 419

Rayna was rendered speechless. “If you don’t want to work with me, fine. Why did you have to blacklist me as well?” she muttered.

The nerve of some people. It’s a simple breakup! Why does he not want to sell me oranges as well?

Ella shrugged apologetically, giving Rayna a look that seemed to imply, “I’ve done my best. There’s nothing else I can do.” She then said, “Ms. Garland, Faymon Group is such a large company. I can understand why they wouldn’t want to work with us, but if we want to ask for help, we need to pay the price. I’ve compiled a list since there are so many other decent brand strategy companies out there. Should I send you a copy?”

Rayna went silent for a moment before waving a hand. “There’s no need. I’ll have that sorted out. You can get back to work.”

When Rayna got back to the office, she set about taking care of important business.

It was only around noon that she called Jasmine.

“Hi, Rayna!” Jasmine answered the phone very quickly. With a smile, she asked, “I’ve seen the news. Are you working for Glory now?”

“Yes, I’ve been here for two days now,’ replied Rayna with a giggle. “Are you busy? Why don’t we meet up for a meal?”

“I’m not busy. Let’s meet at Red Bricks Restaurant!”

“Sure thing!”

Rayna immediately asked Ella to draw up a contract. After receiving it, she went to the garage and drove away.

The drive took a mere ten minutes since Red Bricks Restaurant was so close to the financial district.

After being led by the waiter to the second floor, Rayna soon spotted Jasmine, who was sitting by the window. She immediately strode over to greet the latter.

Jasmine also noticed Rayna. When the latter arrived, Jasmine gave her the once-over and pushed the menu toward her. “I’ve not seen you for a few months, and you seem to be glowing! Is the air abroad a lot kinder than it is here?”

“My, my. Are you implying that I’ve gained weight?” Rayna gave Jasmine a sideways glance and pulled the chair out before taking a seat.

“I swear on the heavens that I’m speaking the truth!”

“I’m not sure if the air is much better, but I can say that I’ve been eating very well.”

Rayna then engaged in small talk while she ordered food.

When she was done, Rayna pushed the menu aside and asked, “Has Jessie been in contact with you, lately?”

Jasmine shook her head. “No. I’ve tried calling her before but could never reach her.” Jasmine then picked up her glass and added, “My assistant went to Faymon Group to deliver something and I asked her to enquire about Jessica. She came back and told me that Jessica had apparently quit Faymon Group ages ago.”

“She’s pregnant. I think she’s going to focus on her pregnancy now.”

Jasmine paused mid-sip and looked at Rayna in shock. “Really? When did that happen?”

“It happened shortly after my stint in Yartran.” Rayna considered Jasmine a friend since they had known each other for a very long time. As such, Rayna decided to tell Jasmine about everything that happened this month.

Rayna was quite thirsty by the time she finished recounting the whole tale. She picked up her glass and took a few sips of water but noticed that Jasmine was still shocked. “Is it that hard to process what I just told you?” asked Rayna amusedly.

“You only left the country for a brief spell, yet so much has happened.” Jasmine breathed deeply. With the same shocked expression, she asked, “Curtis knew why you went abroad, right? Did he not seek you out?”

Rayna’s eyes were downcast as she replied, “We broke up.”

Rayna did not disclose the bit where Curtis went to Yartran to pick up Kristie. She also did not feel the need to do so.

Rayna then chose to change the subject. “Two days ago, when I went to Glory, I noticed Wyatt in his sports car. There was a woman sitting in the passenger seat, feeding him something to drink.”

“Were you mistaken, by any chance?” Jasmine stroked her chin thoughtfully and added, “I ran into Wyatt at a cocktail reception once, but he never brought a female companion along. I figured he was pretty loyal.”

Rayna laughed icily. “I’m not color blind. I still know what Jessie looks like.”

“He’s gone too far,” said Jasmine with a frown. “Jessie is pregnant! He should be discreet and show some restraint. If Jessie finds out, it will affect her pregnancy!”

“This is the problem,” said Rayna worriedly. “I can’t seem to reach Jessie, and Wyatt has me blocked. I don’t even know if Jessie is being taken care of by the Lopez family.”

“Let me try and call him.” Jasmine pulled out her phone and dialed Wyatt’s number.

Rayna waited quietly.

After a long while, Jasmine looked at Rayna. “I can’t reach him either. I think he has blocked me as well.”

“I feel uneasy about this. I want to pay a visit to the Lopez residence.” Rayna seemed to be more worried now.

She was concerned that if Wyatt discovered how Gerald died as a result of Jessica’s machinations, Wyatt was going to take revenge on Jessica.

“I’ll go with you,” said Jasmine. “I don’t have much to do this afternoon.”

When the food arrived, the pair chatted while eating.

Jasmine asked Rayna what she thought of Glory. Rayna then took the opportunity to tell her that Glory planned on releasing a new fragrance and that they had already entered bet-on agreements with other companies.

“I wanted to work with Faymon Group, but I never anticipated that they would blacklist Glory.” Rayna vehemently sliced through her steak, visibly annoyed at the situation. “If you don’t want to collaborate with us, fine. Why did they have to blacklist us?”

The more she spoke of this, the angrier and louder Rayna became. “Also, I wanted to buy some oranges from the orchard owned by Faymon Group since I’ve been craving them. His uncle owns the orchard, but he did not want to sell me any! He even blacklisted my assistant!”

Jasmine smiled and shifted in her seat. “Surely Curtis couldn’t be that petty. He’s refusing to sell you oranges? However, I rarely see you eating oranges in the first place. Why have you suddenly taken a liking to them?”

“I have no idea. I’ve been craving oranges since I got pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” Jasmine was stunned. She looked wide-eyed at Rayna and said, “I-I have not misheard anything, right?”

Rayna smiled and replied, “Yes. I’m already a few months along. Your son’s future wife is on the way!”

“Does the kid belong to Curtis?” asked Jasmine.

“Oh no, I got pregnant on my own!” snorted Rayna disdainfully. The mere thought of Curtis made her blood boil. “He’s being awfully affectionate at Faymon Group. I daresay he’s forgotten that I, his ex, still exist.”

“You’re talking about Stella from the Department of Regulators? She’s the new manager, right?” Jasmine mulled over this for a bit and said, “She’s quite fetching. I caught a glimpse of her when she appeared alongside Curtis in the news. However—”

Jasmine stopped short. She wanted to say that Curtis did not fancy women like Stella, or that it was a misunderstanding.

Rayna’s expression turned frosty as she immediately interrupted Jasmine. “We’ve already broken up, so I couldn’t care less who he showed up in the news with. Since I’m hot, single, and ready to mingle, I can find my child a better father!”

“Come now, you’re being very aggressive!” Jasmine did not know if she wanted to laugh or cry at Rayna’s outburst. “Why don’t you meet up with Curtis and talk things over?”

“There’s nothing to discuss,” said Rayna insistently. Giving Jasmine a warning look, Rayna then said, “Jasmine, think carefully about who you want to aid. One wrong move and you can kiss this unborn daughter-in-law of yours goodbye.”

Jasmine then mimed the action of zipping her lips shut and replied, “I’ll leave you to solve your troubles. I’m not going to interfere.”

Rayna then visibly relaxed. She reached into her purse and pulled out some documents for Jasmine, saying, “Apart from Faymon Group, Sanders Group is also good at brand structure. You won’t decline to work with Glory on the pretext of us being a small company, right?”

“Just send someone over to discuss it with me. There’s no need for a contract since we’re so familiar with each other,” said Jasmine with a wave of her hand.

“I won’t meet with Sanders Group without a signed contract.” Rayna insisted on giving Jasmine the contract. At the same time, she also pushed over a pen. “My daughter isn’t born yet. Now is not the time to be complacent.”

“Okay, I’ll do as you say.” Jasmine chose not to argue any further and promptly signed the contract.

Rayna then put away the contract and sighed. “Fortunately, I can rely on you and ask for help when I need it. My ex-boyfriend is a useless, unreliable turd.”

It’s okay to not want to work with me. But why do you have to be so petty and not sell me oranges?

 

Chapter 420

“Maybe he doesn’t know you’re working for Glory now,” Jasmine remarked while suddenly glancing behind Rayna. “I was just about to suggest asking Curtis, but who would’ve thought he’d be here too? What a coincidence!”

What?

Rayna froze briefly as Jasmine called out with a wave, “Curtis!”

The sound of footsteps nearing quickly followed.

Not daring to turn her head, she could even vaguely sense the man’s chilling aura as he walked in.

“Have a seat!” Jasmine pointed to a chair nearby. “You’re dining here too?”

Curtis sat down on Rayna’s right and nodded. “I came here with a client. We just finished talking business. I’ll get Gabriel to foot your bill after this.”

“Thanks for that.” Jasmine smiled faintly. “Rayna and I just so happen to be here for a business talk too.”

Curtis shot the woman next to him a glance. “What business?”

“Don’t you know? She’s working for Glory now,” Jasmine responded on Rayna’s behalf. “She did give Faymon Group a call before this, but you guys didn’t come to an agreement. That’s why the project has fallen into Sanders Group’s hands.”

“You’re with Glory now?” Curtis turned to Rayna with a frown. “If training is what you want, you can choose any top company. Glory is way too small. You won’t get anywhere working there.”

Given that he barely paid attention to what was happening in the circle, he was completely unaware that Rayna had joined Glory.

“I’m a free woman. I go wherever I want to. Am I supposed to report every single thing I do to you?” the woman replied coldly. “And so what if it’s a small company? I like that! You may not want to work with small firms, but that doesn’t mean you should look down on us. Every company starts small.”

“I’m not looking down on small companies. I’m just describing the truth that Glory is way too small to make it,” Curtis insisted helplessly. “I would’ve lent you some help if I’d known it was you who called.”

The fire within Rayna’s heart was instantly set ablaze by his words, and she stood up immediately.

“It’s fine. Clearly, a small company like Glory means nothing to you. I’m now working with Sanders Group, anyway, so please step aside, Mr. Faymon. Let me pass through.”

The man didn’t budge.

Seeing the two at a stalemate, Jasmine hurriedly chimed in, “Curtis, Rayna and I still have plenty to discuss, so could you please leave us be for now? You can talk another day.”

It was only after she had repeated herself three times that Curtis finally rose to his feet. The moment he stepped aside, Rayna brushed her shoulder against his and walked away in a huff as though she loathed seeing him.

Frustration swirled within the man as he watched the two women leave together.

“Curtis has so much on his plate that he isn’t caught up on the latest news in the circle. He really had no idea you’re with Glory now,” Jasmine commented after getting into the car. “Faymon Group is a lot better than Sanders Group when it comes to planning, so I think you should talk to him to borrow some manpower.”

“I’m not doing that. I’ve already signed the agreement with you!”

“It doesn’t count if you go back on your word. Besides, why are you getting so worked up with him while you’re pregnant—”

Suddenly, Rayna glared at her. “Do you not want a daughter-in-law anymore?”

“Forget everything I just said.” Jasmine surrendered immediately. “So, are we going to the Lopez residence now or?”

“Let’s go get a couple of hamburgers first. I’m hungry again.”

Then, Rayna called Ella to inform her that she wouldn’t be heading back to the office, so anything that needed to be done would be taken care of the next day instead.

After eating, she made her way to the Lopez residence with Jasmine.

Pamela had just returned from the beauty center and bumped into Rayna’s car outside.

“Rayna? What are you two doing here?”

Wyatt had introduced Rayna and Jasmine to her during Gerald’s funeral, so she recognized both women instantly.

“Hello, Mrs. Lopez,” Rayna greeted politely. “We’ve come to see you since we have some free time.”

Pamela beamed. “That’s so kind of you to remember me.”

She then led them into the house.

While entering the hall, Rayna noted that there were no other women’s shoes aside from Pamela’s.

After taking a seat on the couch, she began to strike up a conversation with Pamela while having some coffee.

“Where’s Jessie, Mrs. Lopez?”

“It seems like she’s been tasked with some work overseas.” The older women appeared concerned at the mention of this and sighed. “I told Wyatt to bring her back home because I’m worried about her having a hard time while she’s pregnant, but he told me to stay out of it and that she’d come back on her own. My son is just terrible at caring for others. Whoever he ends up with has to be the unluckiest person in the world.”

Rayna and Jasmine exchanged glances.

“Jessie has gone abroad? Since when?” the former asked calmly.

“It’s been over three months. I’m so worried that she has no one looking after her there,” Pamela answered. “By the way, don’t you and her live together? Have you not been in touch while she’s abroad?”

“I’ve been pretty busy the past few months, so I haven’t really contacted her.” Rayna’s grip on her coffee mug tightened as she spoke. “I thought she’s been taking care of herself and the baby here.”

“I’m not sure if it’s because she’s been so busy, but her number’s been unreachable all this while. If you manage to contact her, could you tell her to come back? It must be so hard working abroad. Lopez Group isn’t small, so it’s not like we expect her to make a living. It’s not good for the baby if she stresses herself out over work.”

Rayna nodded in response, concealing her true emotions. “I understand.”

After talking for a while longer, she and Jasmine bid Pamela goodbye.

Both young women looked slightly grim as they left the Lopez residence.

“I’ve heard about Jessie approaching Wyatt from Theodore.” Jasmine spoke up first. “He said he’s already told Wyatt about this long ago. Do you think this is Wyatt’s way of getting even with her?”

“Wyatt knows about it?” Rayna was stunned. “When did he find out?”

“Not long after you left the country,” Jasmine responded, looking perplexed. “But there was nothing unusual about him during that time. I heard he seemed perfectly normal, but his personality took a complete turn on the day after his birthday.”

Rayna suddenly recalled something upon hearing that. “Actually, Jessie gave me a call on his birthday. She said she was going to tell him about her pregnancy. Do you think they ended up…”

“Are you suggesting that they got into a fight?” asked Jasmine. “Why would they? Is it because Wyatt doesn’t want the kid? Or is it because Jessie caught him with other women?”

Rayna furrowed her brows. “Would he not want his own child?”

“It’s hard to tell.” Jasmine sighed. “A prodigal son wouldn’t be able to turn over a new leaf so easily. Maybe he sees marriage as a burden, or he doesn’t like children. Besides, it doesn’t help that Jessica killed his dad indirectly.”

Rayna subconsciously placed a hand on her belly upon hearing that.

While recalling Jefferson’s words from before along with what Jasmine had just said, she couldn’t help but wonder what Curtis would do if he were to find out that she was pregnant. Would he not want the babies too?

“Don’t think too much about this,” Jasmine assured as soon as she noticed the former’s subtle movements. “Curtis is different, and I’m sure you know what kind of person he is. I bet he’d be so

excited that he’d lose sleep if he found out that you’re pregnant.”

Yet, Rayna evaded the subject. “I’m more concerned about Jessie right now. What if Wyatt’s done something to her after they had a fight? I’m going to stop by Lopez Group and talk to him.”

Jasmine wanted to tag along but couldn’t after receiving an urgent call from work.

With that, Rayna dropped her off at Sanders Group.

“Theodore’s been in Xyperia for quite a few months now. I’m really worried about him, so I’ll be flying over there to see him after taking care of things here. Please watch over Carl for me while I’m away.”