Ch. 751..760
Life at the Top Chapter 751
“How did you get in!?” Jasper asked in a surprised and awkward tone.
“Your bodyguard opened the door for me,” Celine replied as she smiled.
Jasper turned and saw Julian awkwardly placing a plate of breakfast the server had brought on the table before he immediately turned around and walked off.
“This guy!” Jasper massaged his temples as he said to Celine, “Please wait for a moment while I freshen up.”
Jasper did not bother waiting for Celine’s reply before he turned around and went to the bathroom.
As he brushed his teeth and mulled over the reasons why Celine would be in his room this early in the morning, Jasper caught sight of Celine leaning against the door to the bathroom. She was gazing at him with an amused look through the corners of her eyes.
He spat out the toothpaste from his mouth and said, “Did you come over this early in the morning to watch a man wash his face and brush his teeth?”
Celine chuckled and said, “I seem to hear a hint of humiliation in your voice.”
“Anyone would feel awkward if someone was staring at them the moment they woke up,” Jasper said.
Celine blinked and said, “You’re a guy. I’m the woman here. I would be the one suffering losses if there were any.”
“So, you mean I have to make things up to you?” Jasper asked.
Celine chuckled and said, “Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. I came over so early in the morning because I couldn’t wait to share this piece of good news with you.”
“Has Colossal Investments finally decided to underwrite the IPO for free for Sena after reading the assessment report?” Jasper asked teasingly.
IPO was the abbreviation for ‘initial public offering’. In a few years, this would be a buzzword that every corporation in the country would use while claiming to have earned five years’ worth of money in three years. This would set off a wave of people from the general public gaining financial knowledge through passive ways.
“You must be dreaming. However, Sena did score well in the assessment. The better the grade, the lesser the resistance it’ll have to be publicly listed. Its share price will be higher as well. Isn’t that a good thing?” Celine asked.
Right then, Jasper had finished washing his face and was about to leave the bathroom. However, Celine smiled as she stood by the door, seemingly without any intention to let him through.
“Want to have breakfast together?” Jasper had no choice but to ask as he stood by the door.
“Sure,” Celine answered as she smiled. She had no intention of refusing Jasper’s invitation, but… she still did not move.
“How am I supposed to get out if you won’t let me pass?” Jasper asked helplessly.
Celine blinked and said teasingly, “Hey, are you calling me fat now?”
Jasper huffed quietly to himself.
‘If you, a woman, don’t mind, what’s the point of me caring?’
He squeezed right past Celine’s body.
No matter how large and luxurious the presidential suite was, the doors were still standardized. A single person could walk through it easily, but one could not prevent some skin contact if a plump, curvaceous woman was standing in the way.
Jasper had a robe on while Celine was wearing loose, lightweight clothing. The subtle skin contact caused the look in both their eyes to change.
“How dare you!” Celine said upon watching Jasper squeeze right past the front of her body. She turned and stormed toward the dining room.
“I told you to let me through,” Jasper said calmly as he sat at the table and scooped up a forkful of eggs.
Life at the Top Chapter 752
Although Celine was complaining about being taken advantage of, her smile never left her face.
She sat relaxedly in front of Jasper. As Julian had only prepared breakfast for Jasper, she reached over to take a sip from Jasper’s cup of milk.
When Celine put the cup back down and saw Jasper staring at her, she said, “What, you can’t bring yourself to let me have even a sip of milk after taking advantage of me?”
Taking his eyes away from the spot of milk at the corner of Celine’s lips, Jasper laughed dryly as he said, “Of course, I can. I can even treat you to a meal every day if you want to.”
“Oh, are you hinting that you want me as your sugar baby?” Celine said flirtatiously as she gazed at Jasper.
Jasper marveled at how as a woman, Celine did not even bat an eyelash when she talked about the vilest things.
“Hey, how did it feel just now? I’m much more curvaceous than your girlfriend, right?” Celine said as she snickered.
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“Have you always been this open?” Jasper asked.
“Depends on my mood.”
Celine then continued carelessly, “But I’m usually much more serious.”
Just then, Jasper’s phone rang.
Vita Layne was calling.
At this point, Vita’s appointment documents had been finalized and he was now serving as the office manager for ICBS’ Waterhoof City branch. All this had caused Vita to be in a great mood lately.
Now that the problems of his collaboration with Jasper had been settled, Vita made phone calls to both John and Jasper to invite them to dinner.
Jasper had no plans today and no reason to decline Vita’s invitation.
He had just hung up when Celine asked curiously, “You have dinner plans tonight?”
“Meeting up with a couple of friends,” Jasper said.
“Can you take me with you?” Celine asked.
Jasper stared at Celine as he laughed incredulously and said, “They’re my friends from elsewhere, why would you want to attend such events?”
“Why, are we not friends now? Isn’t it normal to introduce your friends to some other friends of yours?” Celine asked.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
…
That night, Jasper picked Celine up from her room.
Used to seeing her dressed in business wear, Jasper was pleasantly surprised to see how she looked dressed in casual clothing.
To be honest, although Celine was beautiful, she did not have the kind of beauty that would cause one to take a second look. In terms of looks alone, Anna and Wendy were gorgeous women who won by a landslide.
However, what made Celine special was how she managed to meld both Eastern and Western culture into her personal aesthetic.
When you looked at her, you could see the elegance of Eastern women and the carefreeness of Western women.
Furthermore, Celine’s training in the most prestigious field in the world allowed her to emanate an aura of confidence and competence.
To put it frankly, she was attractive.
Women like Celine were at least, to men, a weapon that could instantaneously take out anyone between the age range of a teenage boy and wizened men.
Dressed in casual clothing, Celine looked like your average office lady who had just gotten off work. Smiling, she stood in front of Jasper and asked, “Do I look good?”
“Yes,” Jasper said sincerely as he nodded.
To be honest, Wendy, Anna, and Celine were all beautiful in their own ways. Moreover, their beauty could not be replicated via artificial means.
Just like how Celine had put on light makeup now that accentuated her features but did not make her look cheap. It made her seem naturally beautiful.
Perhaps she had taken privacy into concern, but Celine was not bringing her personal secretary with her to dinner tonight.
Jasper was glad about that too. Her secretary, Yvonne, always looked at him as if he had killed her father. If it were not for Celine, Jasper would have long since taught her a lesson. It was just as well she was not here. He would have peace of mind.
Following Vita’s directions, Jasper arrived at a farm on the outskirts of Waterhoof City.
The surrounding mountains and rivers put Celine in a great mood. As she breathed in the fresh air, she said to Jasper, “Your friend put a lot of thought into this. It wouldn’t have been fun if we just ate in a normal restaurant.”
“They’re all old foxes now and naturally have more experience than us peasants in this regard,” Jasper said as he smiled.
As they talked and laughed, Jasper and Celine entered the farm together.
“Mr, Laine, you’ve arrived.” Vita and John smiled as they walked out to welcome him.
However, the two men were startled when they saw Celine standing beside Jasper.
“This is Miss Celine Maynard, who’s also my friend. I invited her along because we both happened to be in Waterhoof City.” Jasper smiled as he made the introductions.
“Hello everyone. I’m not unwelcome here, am I?” Celine had obviously mastered the art of socializing, and she smiled warmly as she spoke in a joking tone.
Vita and John exchanged a look before they both ignored Jasper’s ‘we’re friends’ introduction.
A man and a woman were either a couple or family. How could there only be pure friendship?
“Of course not. It’s an honor to have a guest as beautiful as you, Miss Maynard. I was just fretting over what we three men could talk about.” Ever the social butterfly, Vita hurriedly smiled and replied.
The four of them laughed and caught up with each other. They were all expert socializers and did not find it awkward at all. It only took them a short conversation before they all became friends.
At least, it seemed that way on the surface.
As Vita walked toward the room with Jasper, he whispered, “Mr. Laine, I’ve prepared some good stuff today.”
“What is it?” Jasper asked curiously.
Vita chuckled and said, “You’ll find out soon.”
“You’ve only just got your new position, you’d better not get into any trouble,” Jasper said meaningfully.
Vita hurriedly waved his hands and said, “How could I do that? I’ve just got some simple wild game here, nothing huge. Did you think I would engage in any illegal activity?”
Soon, Jasper learned what Vita meant by some simple wild game.
Almas caviar and other equally expensive dishes.
What was more, there was even snake soup!
Jasper thought to himself that there was no saving Vita and John as he watched the two men giggle at the sight of snake soup, which was apparently an aphrodisiac.
Dear God, the entire table was filled with rare, expensive dishes.
Thankfully, there were no endangered animals here although all these dishes were extremely expensive. Jasper would never have been able to eat those dishes.
Life at the Top Chapter 753
“Can’t enjoy good food without some good wine.” Vita laughed as he took out two bottles of aged brandy and said, “It’s all thanks to you that I could advance further in my career, Mr. Laine. Let me give you a toast.”
Smiling, Jasper picked up his cup and said, “Cheers to that. Before we talk about anything else, you should first stop calling me Mr. Laine. You’re about John’s age, and I should be addressing you as an older brother instead. Please, call me Jasper.”
“Alright, Jasper, cheers!” Vita’s face was bright red as he excitedly clinked his glass against Jasper’s and downed its contents.
Jasper, too, tilted his head back and finished the entire glass.
…
“This is the meat of the albino beluga sturgeon, a rare fish which can only be harvested for half a month every year. It’s suitable to be consumed by women because it nourishes your body and skin.”
Jasper did not give Celine the cold shoulder as they ate. He cut her a slice of sturgeon meat as he spoke.
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When he heard that, Vita smiled and said, “Two years ago, a pound of this could be bought for 8,000 dollars. But bear in mind that it was 8,000 dollars back in 1999. Now, there’s simply no supply although there’s a great demand for it. You can’t buy it even if you have the money.”
Celine took a bite of the meat. It was tender, fresh, and fatty without being greasy. She said in surprise, “It’s delicious.
“I remember seeing lots of sturgeon in the rivers when I was a child. Are they this rare now?”
When he heard what Celine said, Jasper exclaimed in surprise, “You grew up by a river?”
Celine rolled her eyes at Jasper and said, “I’m a southerner through and through, alright? I only left the country when I was in fourth grade, but it’s been more than ten years since I’ve returned to my hometown. I wonder what it’s like now.”
“There used to be a lot of sturgeons, but overfishing has caused its numbers to drop greatly. A policy was even introduced so now, they can only be caught for half a month every year so they’ll have time to breed. It’s much better than simply letting the animal go extinct,” Vita said.
“A relative of mine back home caught this sturgeon two days ago. It’s considered one of the largest ones that have ever been caught in recent years, but he didn’t sell it to anyone despite being offered several million dollars for it. Instead, he brought it straight to me.”
John stood and served Jasper a bowl of snake soup. He smiled meaningfully as he said, “You should have more of this, Jasper. It has amazing healing properties. All the herbs are aged and harvested from the depths of the forests, which means they have potent medicinal powers.”
Jasper took the bowl from him as he said exasperatedly, “I’m still young and strong. You two are the ones who should drink more of this. Don’t regret it when you’re in your 40s and have weakened stamina.”
Men would inevitably end up talking about slightly inappropriate things when they ate and drank together.
John and Vita were both well-versed in such topics. Jasper had initially been worried Celine would not be used to it but was shocked to hear her interjection.
“This stuff only provides a psychological effect. If you actually want treatment, you might as well take two Viagra pills.”
Everyone at the table burst into laughter when they heard that.
The awkwardness that had been present because of Celine, who was a stranger, was cleverly defused.
It was a great meal, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
Jasper was extremely satisfied with the meal. The table had been filled with delicious delicacies made from top-grade ingredients by a skilled chef.
It was past ten at night when they finished eating.
It was either the snake soup or the brandy that had caused Vita and John to be slightly tipsy with reddened cheeks. After they left the farm, they giggled as they bade goodbye to Jasper. They obviously had more plans lined up.
Jasper had Celine with him, and it seemed they would not be bringing him with them.
Either way, Jasper did not have that many common interests with a bunch of middle-aged men. Thus, he returned to the city with Celine.
Celine had had quite a bit to drink that night too. She had chugged at least half of the brandy that was poured. Things might have gotten awkward if not for the fact Vita had only brought that much brandy.
Life at the Top Chapter 754
“Let’s go for a walk,” Celine said abruptly to Jasper when they had almost reached the hotel.
Jasper was startled but then realized his entire body smelled like booze. It was a good idea to get some air and clear his mind. Thus, he got Julian to pull the car over before he and Celine got out.
It was already past ten at night, but Waterhoof City was not the least bit deserted. You could still see lots of people making their way around.
As they strolled on the sidewalk, Celine turned and gazed somewhat drunkenly at Jasper as she said, “Why are you so far away from me? Are you scared I’ll eat you up?”
When Jasper, who had been standing behind Celine, heard that, he immediately walked up to Celine and stood next to her before saying, “Is this close enough for you?”
Celine did not say anything. She reached out, took hold of Jasper’s arm, and put her head on his shoulder. She said with a smile, “This is better.”
Then, she pointed to a couple standing by the road and said, “Look, they’re doing it like this.”
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreenJasper frowned slightly and tried to pull his arm away as he said, “Miss Maynard, you’re drunk.”
“I’m not drunk.” Celine tightened her hold on Jasper’s arm as she said dismissively, “I’m a woman, and I’m not scared. What are you scared about?”
“But you’re already married,” Jasper said.
Celine was stunned for a moment before she let go of Jasper’s arm and smiled meaningfully, saying, “Yes, I’m already married. I can’t be like this anymore. I would have forgotten if you hadn’t reminded me.”
Was this another woman in an unhappy marriage?
Jasper shook his head. He had no interest in the relationships of other married couples, nor did he plan to butt in.
However, Celine seemed to have become a real chatterbox and said, “Who cares about marriage? We only got together due to a mix of interests. Him, his parents, and my parents were satisfied when we got married, but no one ever bothered asking if I was satisfied.”
“So, are you satisfied?” Jasper asked.
Celine smiled and seemed to become more animated as she said, “Of course, I’m satisfied. He’s handsome, rich, capable, and is an illustrious person. He’s the perfect husband no matter how you look at him. What kind of woman wouldn’t want to marry a man like that?”
“That’s fine, then.” Jasper sighed. “You wouldn’t be so childish that you want a love story between a princess and a beggar, right? All relationships are built on a foundation of materialism. Or are you unwilling to be with your husband and spend the rest of your life with him just for the sake of benefits?”
“It’s not that,” Celine said as she shook her head. “I’m not a high schooler who daydreams about love anymore. That’s hilarious.”
“But…” As she spoke, Celine abruptly stopped and stood in front of a display in a department store. She was staring unblinkingly at a pair of red high heels the mannequin had on its feet.
“I want this,” Celine said as she pointed at the window.
Jasper glanced at the store’s tightly shut doors and frowned as he said, “It’s already closed. Shall we come and buy them tomorrow when they’re open?”
“No! I want them now!” Celine was as stubborn as a spoiled little girl asking for sweets from her parents.
“I can’t break the window and steal them now, can I?” Jasper said helplessly as he tried to forcibly drag Celine away. This woman was troublesome after she was drunk.
“Commission!” Celine shook Jasper’s arm off her as she stretched out two fingers. She said seriously, albeit with drunken eyes, “I’ll shave off 20% of the commission to list Sena publicly. But I want this, right now!”
Jasper’s head throbbed. However, his eyes widened when he saw a logo from the corners of his eyes.
It was a logo unique to businesses owned by the Law family.
“F*ck it, I’m going for it!”
Life at the Top Chapter 755
When he used a brick to break the glass of the store’s display, the sound of glass smashing was accompanied by the blaring of alarms. Jasper would have thought he was crazy if not for the fact this store was owned by the Law family.
Julian, who was smoking a cigarette as he sat in the car, stared in shock when he witnessed that.
If he had not witnessed it with his own eyes, who would have thought that a tycoon with a net worth of at least several billion dollars would do something as thuggish as smashing a store display and stealing from it?
However, Jasper did not have the time to think about it anymore. He was almost broke and was focused on the 20% commission cut Celine promised him.
He found a brick, smashed the glass, picked up the red heels amongst the shards, and pulled Celine along with him as they ran off.
He completed all these actions with fluid movements and without any hesitancy.
Holding the heels in one hand and pulling Celine, who was laughing delightedly, along with him, Jasper dashed all the way back to the car.
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen“Hurry, let’s go!”
Jasper yelled at Julian.
“Alright!”
Julian had no time to watch this exciting scene. He turned the key and stepped on the gas as they sped off.
Jasper sat in the car and managed to calm himself down slightly.
The only thing he could do now was pray that the surveillance cameras were not as advanced as they were in the future. At least there would not be cameras at every corner and junction. That way, he could send Julian over with some money as a form of reimbursement the next day.
If not, it would be embarrassing for him if he got caught for such trivial matters.
However, he could not deny that it was really f*cking exciting.
Jasper had a dark expression on his face as he gazed at Celine who was giggling as she hugged the heels to herself. He said, “You’d best remember you said you would shave 20% off your commission. Don’t wake up the next morning and say you’ve forgotten everything.”
Celine grinned and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t forget it. Do you really think I’m drunk?”
Jasper used a look to tell her that she was, indeed, drunk.
When they returned to the hotel, Jasper reminded Julian to inform Henry about what had happened and ask him not to cause a fuss. Then, Jasper asked Julian to pay the unfortunate store for the damages he had caused.
After that, Jasper took a bath and decided to turn in early.
He had just lain down on his bed when his phone vibrated. It was a text from Celine.
The contents of the text were simple, just two words with one punctuation mark.
[Thank you!]
Jasper smiled and put his phone aside. Turning off the lights, he went to sleep.
…
At this time in the opposite room, Celine was feeling rather unhappy as Jasper had not replied to her text even after a long time.
Someone knocked on her door just as she was about to send Jasper another text.
“Come in.”
Celine fixed her expression into a cold and aloof one.
Yvonne walked in with a warm towel, which she handed to Celine before asking, “Do you want me to bring you some warm milk? It can help cure hangovers.”
Life at the Top Chapter 756
“I want it cold,” Celine said somewhat tiredly.
Yvonne soon brought in a glass of cold milk and placed it on the bedside table.
“Miss Maynard, did you have dinner with Jasper tonight? How could you have drunk so much?” Yvonne asked.
Celine massaged her temples and said, “We had to talk about some stuff, that’s it. You don’t need to pry into my personal life.”
Not daring to retaliate, Yvonne hummed in response. However, her eyes glinted with hatred as she lowered her gaze.
“You can leave now. I’m turning in for the night,” Celine said as she lay in bed. Then, she abruptly added, “When you have time, pull up the quotation saved on my laptop and lower the commission by 20%. Add in a reasonable explanation that will be accepted by the company too. I want it by tomorrow.”
Startled, Yvonne said instinctively, “20%? The company will never agree to that. They might even suspect that you and Jasper have some unspoken deal. Miss Maynard, this is not…”
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen“This is my decision. As general manager of Terra’s regional branch, I have the power to adjust the commission within a 25% frame. Don’t you know that?” Celine’s eyes were cold as she asked the question.
“Yvonne Stone, I know you don’t like Jasper, but that’s your personal feelings which I have no control over. I won’t order you to be overly nice to Jasper but you must never let your personal feelings get in the way of your work, nor will I allow you to constantly question my decisions. Is that clear?”
As she gazed at Celine, who had a stern expression on her face, Yvonne bit down on her lip and said, “Understood, Miss Maynard. I’ll carry out your orders right away.”
“Go.” Celine closed her eyes somewhat tiredly. She was feeling the effects of the alcohol now, and she did not have the energy to continue talking to Yvonne. “Turn off the lights when you leave.”
Yvonne left the room silently.
When Yvonne left the room, she had a murderous expression on her face.
She immediately returned to her room and called William.
“Do you know how long it’s been? Why haven’t you taken any action yet?”
William, who was on the other end of the line, said in a disdainful voice, “Miss Maynard, please remember that you are merely the secretary to a general manager. What gave you the guts to question a president?”
Yvonne gritted her teeth as she said, “But we’re equal partners in this case. You need me to provide you with information, don’t you?”
William scoffed but still explained, “It takes time to persuade the board of directors back at the headquarters, but some progress has already started. Haven’t you seen how the board of directors hasn’t made any demands although Celine still hasn’t handed in the quotation?”
Yvonne said vehemently, “Now that you’ve mentioned it, Celine just asked me to change the quotation. She wants to use her power to lower Colossal’s commission by 20%.”
William was first stunned for a while before he laughed and said, “Did Celine sleep with Jasper? Why would an otherwise smart woman do something that would only bring benefits to the other party? Has she come up with an explanation to give to the headquarters?”
“She said any logical explanation would do because she has the power to do so. Headquarters wouldn’t mind,” Yvonne said coldly.
“Either way, she’s fully invested in this matter now. We must hurry and mess up Sena’s plan to be publicly listed. I’ll send you a copy of the quotation later tonight and leave several loopholes in the explanation that will be made to the headquarters. It’s up to you how we’ll proceed.”
William laughed as he said, “Women like you who will do anything and everything to gain what they want are truly evil.”
“Mind your own business!” Yvonne said before hanging up.
The next morning, Jasper was not surprised to see Celine waiting to have breakfast with him when he woke up.
Julian left after he served the two breakfast. He had to go clean up the mess Jasper made last night.
Jasper purposely glanced at Celine’s feet and saw that the woman was wearing the red heels from last night. He smiled and said, “Not bad. They’re gorgeous and suit you very well. Seems like my impulsiveness from last night was not for naught.”
“Of course, it wasn’t. I’ve already shaved 20% off from our commission and submitted the final report to the headquarters. We can sign the contract once they’re done verifying it,” Celine said in a relaxed tone.
“The total commission is 380 million dollars and I’ve helped you save 76 million dollars. What shoes could be that expensive?”
Life at the Top Chapter 757
Celine’s statements caused Jasper to sink into deep thought.
At the same time, Jasper made a decision.
When his companies expanded and recruited more employees, he had to make sure he had control over the amount of power his subordinates held.
Else, would he not suffer major losses if he ended up recruiting a woman like Celine Maynard who readily gave away 70 million dollars at every turn?
They enjoyed breakfast together until Celine received an encrypted call.
“It’s from the headquarters. It must be them informing us that we can sign the contract now,” Celine said confidently to Jasper before she returned to her room to answer the call.
Celine returned moments later with an ugly expression on her face.
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When Jasper saw the expression on Celine’s face, he realized that the matter he had previously been so confident about must have gone wrong.
“Sorry,” Celine said as she sat down in front of Jasper. She sighed before continuing, “Sena’s listing has run into some problems.”
“Tell me. I’m listening,” Jasper said calmly.
Celine gazed at Jasper. Without taking anything else into regard, his calmness at such a time was already something that not most people would have.
“Headquarters just informed me that members of the board have raised their suspicions regarding this deal. They’re requesting a complete redo of the assessment to determine the possibility of Sena going public,” Celine said.
Jasper chuckled as he sat on the couch and said, “Which means that everything we did before this was for nothing?”
Celine had an apologetic expression on her face as she said, “No, there must have been something we missed. I’ll get to the bottom of this and solve this matter as soon as possible.”
“I don’t know how internal affairs at your investment company are, but it seems odd that an amazing business deal would go down the drain just because several members of the board came forth to stir things up,” Jasper said as he shook his head.
Celine hurriedly said, “Please don’t misunderstand. We just have somewhat of a unique structure at the investment company. Most matters are handled by the president, but the board of directors has the right to voice their doubts for large deals. It’s a form of insurance for the company in ensuring no problems are encountered.
“So, your insurance is to have me, your client, waste my time with you?” Jasper asked.
Celine went silent.
Realizing his attitude might have been a bit aggressive, Jasper softened his tone and said, “Miss Maynard, this has nothing to do with you. Don’t worry, we’ll remain friends no matter what. But in the spirit of maintaining business formality, I hope you’ll pass on a message to the headquarters for me.”
“Please continue,” Celine said solemnly.
“Colossal Investments is not the only company that can be Sena’s underwriter in the stock market. I believe that so long Sena is willing to do so, a simple announcement would be enough to attract major investment companies from States such as Layman Investments, Merlene Investments, Morgan Stanley Investments, and Citigroup Inc. to fly over and fight for the chance to work with me.
“It would do good for Colossal Investments to not think of themselves as such a big deal.”
Jasper did not bother trying to be nice. All this while, he had been involved in many fights. Thus, even his toes could conclude that someone was trying to sabotage him this time.
However, did Jasper care?
He did not.
It was because Jasper was not trying to leech benefits away from Colossal Investments. Both parties would benefit from this deal.
However, what was different was that Jasper could just switch investment companies and continue working happily with whoever it was. However, if Colossal Investments lost him as a client, they would lose out on profits of more than 300 million dollars and also the fame they would gain by helping Sena get listed on the Nasdaq Composite.
Ordinary profits were worth nothing to investment companies like Colossal Investments. However, they had to take on the position of being underwriter for stocks like Sena.
Life at the Top Chapter 758
It was because a company like Sena was bound to cause a huge surge of interest in investments the minute they were listed publicly. No one dared predict how much their shares would rise, but it was without a doubt that they would be priced sky-high on the very first day.
Colossal Investments was drooling over a business deal that would bring them such fame.
After all, the competition in the investment industry was brutal and competitive. No one knew which was the second biggest investment company, but everyone knew Colossal Investments was the biggest investment company.
If Colossal Investments ever fell from grace, they would be forgotten by the public in a matter of days.
That was why Jasper dared to ignore their shady tricks.
All he needed to do was switch companies. What was there for Jasper to worry about?
On the contrary, it was something that the internal affairs at Colossal Investments needed to worry over.
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As expected, Celine’s eyebrows were knitted together when she heard what Jasper had said.
“Don’t panic yet. I’ll take care of this as soon as possible,” Celine said to Jasper.
“Three days. Give me three days.”
Jasper gazed at the serious expression on Celine’s face and thought about it for a moment before he nodded and said, “Alright, let me know if you need my cooperation in anything.”
“But keep in mind that I don’t have much time.”
When she heard Jasper agree, Celine hurriedly nodded and said, “Alright, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to give you a proper explanation.”
When she finished, Celine bade goodbye to Jasper and hurried back to her room.
“Yvonne, come here.” Celine returned to her room and sat silently in the study for half an hour before calling out to Yvonne.
Yvonne had already received news that the board was stopping Sena from being listed publicly and was still celebrating inwardly. When she heard Celine, she did not think much about it and immediately entered the study.
Slap!
A loud slap rang out as a hand landed heavily on Yvonne’s cheek.
Yvonne cradled her cheek as she stared at Celine in disbelief, yelling, “Miss Maynard, why did you hit me?!”
“Why?” Celine laughed coldly as she said, “You dared to turn on me but you never thought there would be a day when I found out about it?
“Tell me! What sort of benefits did William give you to leak information to him?!”
Yvonne panicked when she heard Celine’s questions and instinctively shook her head as she denied it. “Miss Maynard, you’ve misunderstood me. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yvonne, you’ve been with me for so many years. How do you still not know me well?” Celine gazed disappointedly at Yvonne. “Conversely, I know you very well.
“The members of the board who voiced their objections were all William’s superiors. He’s definitely involved in this. Besides, William’s been making frequent calls to the headquarters recently. Did you really think I wouldn’t have noticed that?”
Celine’s cold words caused Yvonne’s heart to sink to the pit of her stomach.
“I knew you hated Jasper, but I never thought you would be so ballsy to even work with my enemy to cause trouble for Jasper. Do you know this will cause me to lose any reputation I have?” Celine said through gritted teeth.
Flustered, Yvonne said stubbornly, “Even if William was the one making a mess of things, it still has nothing to do with me.”
“Nothing to do with you? Right now, only me, you, and President Paulson know of my collaboration with Jasper. Are you suggesting the president was the one who sold me out?”
Life at the Top Chapter 759
A flustered expression appeared on Yvonne’s face. She had not expected her plan to be exposed so soon.
Right now, she was so flustered the only thing she could do was grit her teeth and deny everything, insisting she had nothing to do with it.
She knew Celine had no evidence against her if she denied everything. However, she would be done for if she admitted to anything herself.
When she saw that Yvonne was still not going to admit to anything, Celine shook her head in disappointment. “I always knew he had sent you over to spy on me, but I never minded.
“After all, there would be others even if I sent you away. I can’t stop that.
“But you managed to fit my requirements, and you’re good at what you do. That’s why I’ve always trusted you.
“I was initially willing to give you another chance on the basis of the trust we shared. As long as you admitted to everything…”
Then, Celine gazed at Yvonne’s face which was progressively becoming more flustered and pale. She said calmly, “Yvonne Stone, from this moment onward, you are no longer my secretary. I’ll have HR inform you of any procedures you’ll have to go through.”
Yvonne’s face turned deathly pale as she screeched, “Miss Maynard, are you firing me?!”
“You abandoned me first.” Celine’s voice turned calm as she said coldly, “You rejected the last chance I gave you. Perhaps my tolerance has caused you to become more and more reckless.
“Were you thinking that because I had no proof against you and that William would never identify you publicly, I wouldn’t stand a chance against you so long as you denied everything?
“What you didn’t know is that I’m not a judge, and the investment company is not a courtroom either. I don’t need any proof before I can pass my judgment. All it takes for your resignation is a statement from me.”
Then, Celine said coldly, “Please leave right now. We no longer have any sort of relationship between us.”
When confronted with that severe blow, Yvonne hurriedly tugged on Celine’s shirt as she sobbed. “Miss Maynard, please forgive me. I didn’t mean anything by it. I didn’t know you would be this angry. Can you just take it as a mistake I made and forgive me, please?
“I did leak information to William on my own accord, but the only reason I did that was to cause trouble for Jasper. I couldn’t just stand by and watch as Sena gets successfully listed. Who does he think he is? What gives him the right to reap all the benefits and have everything good in life?
“Miss Maynard, I never wanted to harm you!”
The disappointment on Celine’s already stern face only grew as she listened to Yvonne’s sobbing complaints.
“It’s alright if you make mistakes, and I’m always ready to give you a chance to correct them. But it’s your parents’ responsibility if your morals are corrupted. I have no responsibility in helping or tolerating you.
“Your mind is truly simple. Did you really think William would only target Jasper alone? Besides, what kind of loss would this cause for Jasper? All he needs to do is delay the listing by a couple of days. Even without Colossal Investments, there are still numerous investment companies lining up to hand him a contract.
“Everyone knows how powerful Sena is. It’s a business deal that would rake in huge profits. Would there be any investment company that’ll reject it?
“Thus, William has made me his target from the very start. Jasper just happened to be thrown into the mix. William is smarter than you are and has known since the start that this would never be a problem for Jasper.”
Celine shook her head in disappointment as she said, “Did you know what the headquarters told me over the phone? They suspect that I’ve made a private agreement with Jasper, especially regarding the 20% discount in commission. They’re suspecting I’m using my authority to work with Jasper to harm the company. The investigative team is already on their way.
“It doesn’t matter if they find anything or not. It’ll still be a huge hurdle for me to remain at the Terra regional branch. And who would be the happiest if I left? That person would be William.
“And what about you? What would you get from this?”
Celine gazed at Yvonne with pity. The woman’s face had turned ashen, and Celine said coldly, “You gained no benefits at all. Conversely, you lost everything. Your job at the investment company, my trust, and your future.”
Life at the Top Chapter 760
“In fact, people like you are the ones who should be hated and pitied the most. You brought trouble to both yourself and others, thinking you were smart. However, you ended up being the fool.”
Everything she said caused Yvonne to stand rooted to the spot in shock.
She realized that things were exactly how Celine made them out to be. She was the fool here.
Not only had she not gained any benefits, but Jasper, the one she wanted to seek revenge on, had lost nothing. On the other hand, she had lost everything.
She also dragged Celine down with her in the process.
“Miss Maynard, I…”
Tears filled Yvonne’s eyes as she tried to plead for mercy. However, she was too ashamed to actually say anything when she opened her mouth.
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“Seeing how you still have some shame, I’ll give you some leeway.”
Celine’s words caused hope to once again flare within Yvonne. She gazed hopefully at Celine.
However, what Celine said after that pushed her right back into an abyss of despair.
“You can hand in your resignation. This way, you’ll still be able to find employment in other investment companies. If Colossal Investments were to fire you, it’ll leave a permanent stain on your record and no other investment companies will think of hiring you.”
Celine turned and walked off after saying that, leaving Yvonne to stand rooted to the spot in shock before she finally burst into tears.
Once she was done dealing with Yvonne, Celine gave William a call.
William did not seem surprised to receive a call from her. He seemed to be in a good mood.
“Miss Maynard, you don’t seem to be in a good mood,” William said leisurely as he leaned against his office chair in the brightly lit office.
Celine had a stiff expression on her face as she said, “Isn’t this what you wanted?”
William laughed and said, “Please don’t say that. You’re an amazing partner, and I hope only the very best for you. I said the same thing to the investigative team when they were in my office earlier.”
“How quick,” Celine scoffed and said, “William, you must know that the investigative team will never find anything wrong with me. Do you really think such tricks will work on me?”
William shrugged and said, “I don’t know if it’ll work or not. I only know that the minute your record shows that you’ve had investigations done on you, you’ll never be able to get the chair that my butt is resting on right now.”
Sighing, Celine said, “Jasper’s case to list Sena publicly has nothing to do with our feud. I hope you’ll think about this carefully.”
William laughed and said, “Miss Maynard, how did you get to where you are now if you’re this naive? Just like how you screwed up my case, I’ll ensure you never get to complete any business deals without causing a whole lot of trouble. Got it?
“Your suffering is my source of happiness,” William said before he hung up.
Celine had a stiff expression on her face as she listened to the dial tone. Honestly, she was not surprised at the outcome.
Sighing, Celine muttered to herself, “You forced me to do this.”