Chapter 9
After a brief moment, Derick invited Ethan to the board meeting, and they walked out
of the office.
In the lounge, Sergio was waiting for Ethan. He saw a group of people passing by the floor–to–ceiling windows.
“Is that man your CEO?” Sergio asked.
The secretary glanced over and quickly replied, “Yes. Mr. Hayden is heading to the board meeting now.”
Sergio set down his coffee cup and took a closer look. He happened to catch Derick turning his head. Sergio smiled and nodded at Derick as a greeting. Derick frowned, then politely nodded back before swiftly following Ethan into the elevator.
What Derick didn’t know was that due to the angle, Sergio couldn’t see Ethan at all. He only saw a group surrounding Ethan as they walked away. Sergio resumed sitting in his chair, waiting for Ethan.
Hayden Group was about to establish the nation’s largest international top–tier business district in Beliey, set to be completed soon. Since Moore Group, specializing in high- end fashion, needed to be part of the business district, Sergio had to establish connections early to secure a prime location in the district.
After waiting for the whole morning, Ethan was still in a board meeting. At noon, Sergio inquired and learned that Ethan was having lunch with business partners and would return in the afternoon. In the afternoon, he was told Ethan was inspecting work at the construction site and would be back shortly. As the day came to an end, the entire company, including Ethan, had already left for the day.
Sergio’s face turned red with anger. He was the heir and CEO of Moore Group, one of Beliey’s top conglomerates, usually highly respected. He couldn’t believe he had been stood up by Ethan for the entire day. Despite continuous apologies from the secretary, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ethan had intentionally played a trick on him. With no apparent grudges between them, Sergio couldn’t comprehend why Ethan would treat him this way.
Furious, Sergio left Hayden Group and, sitting in his car, made a call. “Perla.”
“Sergio, did you have a pleasant day at Hayden Group? Are you having a delightful conversation with Mr. Hayden?” Perla asked, clearly aiming to praise Sergio.
Sergio’s expression turned even more unpleasant.
“I’m having dinner with Salma right now. Do you want to join us, or have you already
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made plans to dine with Mr. Hayden?”
“You go ahead, I’m fine, Sergio replied.
Sergio naturally wouldn’t mention that he hadn’t even seen Ethan in person. At this moment, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with them.
“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” Perla keenly noticed Sergio’s weird tone.
“Nothing, just a bit tired. I want to go back and rest carly,” Sergio replied.
Take care of yourself then.” Perla appeared caring. “By the way, when you met Mr. Hayden today, how did he look? Is he a middle–aged man?”
“Not exactly.” Sergio evaluated. “But he has a very ordinary appearance.”
“I thought so.” Perla chuckled and said, “Alright, Sergio, I won’t bother you further. I’ll
be there soon.”
Sergio hung up the phone, his face still looking extremely grim. Kylie had angered him in the morning, and now Ethan had infuriated him in the afternoon. Sergio was so frustrated that his body was trembling.
At Bia Mansion, Kylie was planning to order takeout for dinner when her phone rang. It was the unfamiliar number from the morning, all digits were “8,” and Kylie immediately remembered. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to decline Ethan’s invitation for the evening.
“Mommy!” Joseph’s crisp voice came from the other end.
Kylie’s words got stuck in her throat.
“Mommy, I miss you. Dad and I are coming to pick you up for dinner. We’ll be there in ten minutes,” Joseph excitedly said.
Kylie fell into silence. Ethan’s cunning surpassed her expectations. Helplessly, Kylie finally left the house, leaning on her crutch.
Ethan leaned against his eye–catching Maybach parked at the intersection of Kylie’s street. His handsome face attracted more attention than the car itself. Kylie noticed several people of all ages and genders gathering around him, everyone excitedly observing him. But Ethan paid them no attention until he saw Kylie appear. His eyes brightened up,
and he strode towards her with long strides, directly taking her crutch.
Kylic frowned, but before she could say anything, Ethan suddenly carried her in his arms and headed towards the car. More people gathered around to watch the scene. Taking a deep breath, Kylie chose to go along.
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Once inside the car, Joseph immediately greeted Kylie with his crisp, childish voice. “Hello, Mommy,” he beamed at her.
Every time Kylie saw Joseph, her heart would soften. They hadn’t seen each other for three days.
“Mommy, I miss you so much.” Joseph hugged Kylie tightly, then excitedly continued, “Daddy said we’re going for a big dinner today. Mommy, are you hungry?”
“Yes.” Kylie smiled.
“I’m hungry too. We’ll eat a lot,” Joseph happily said.
“Okay.” Kylie nodded.
Throughout the journey, the car was filled with the delightful chatter between Joseph and Kylie. Ethan sat beside them, not interjecting, but a subtle smile lingered on his lips. Upon reaching the restaurant and guided by the waiter, they took a seat near the floor–to–ceiling window. Just as they settled in, Kylie’s eyes flickered. Though her expression changed subtly, and Ethan was still engrossed in perusing the menu, he keenly observed Kylie’s shift in demeanor.
He glanced over and noticed Perla at the nearby table, engaged in a lively conversation with Salma Moore. Salma, Sergio’s younger sister, had played a significant role in helping Perla attract Sergio’s attention away from Kylie in the past.
“Are you about to start shooting a new movie?” Perla asked..
Salma was involved in the entertainment industry. She was not exactly a top–tier star
but with a decent fan base.
“Yes, fortunately, the shooting location is in Beliey. Otherwise, I would never go.” sounded a bit arrogant.
Salma
“I’ll visit you at the filming location frequently,” Perla said. Suddenly, another thought crossed her mind. “Oh, by the way, this movie seems to have investment from Hayden. Group, right?”
“Speaking of which, I’m so upset.” Salma revealed a hint of disdain.
“What happened?” Perla inquired.
“The heir of Hayden Group, who just returned from abroad, is showing interest in me and wants to set up a blind date with me,” Salma explained.
“Really?” Perla exclaimed in surprise.
Unperturbed, Ethan continued to order food, occasionally asking Kylie about her
Chapter 9
preferences.
“I’m so irritated. How could I ever be interested in him? Not only is he extremely ugly, but he also comes with a child. I don’t want a man who has been abandoned by other women!” Salma expressed her frustration.
“Indeed, you, being so beautiful, must be out of his league,” Perla flattered Salma.
“I’m worried that Mr. Hayden will force me to marry him because he likes me. You know his family’s status in Beliey. My dad will surely compromise,” Salma sighed.
“It seems that being too beautiful and likable can also have downsides,” Perla teased her.
Salma looked pleased, enjoying the flattery from Perla, who knew exactly what to say.
“Let’s forget about him. By the way, how are you and Sergio now? Why hasn’t he announced the cancellation of the engagement with Kylie?” Perla inquired.
“After all, Sergio and Kylie have been in love for many years. He has to consider Kylie’s reputation,” Perla empathetically remarked.
“Consider Kylie’s reputation?” Salma became very angry. “What reputation does she have? She had a chaotic private life at the age of eighteen, and she gave birth out of wedlock. If I were her, I would be so ashamed that I’d jump off a building. Her nerve is really thick, daring to show up in public!”
Kylie, pretending not to have heard, continued to accompany Joseph in choosing the desserts he wanted.
“I’ll go to the restroom.” Ethan suddenly stood up, and Kylie nodded.
After a while, Ethan returned to his seat. Simultaneously, the male waiter approached Perla and Salma, saying seriously, “I’m sorry, but we need to clear the area.”
Chapter 10
