Chapter 66
Chapter 66
The atmosphere in the car shifted, becoming subtly tense.
Yann had a document resting on his lap, his expression unreadable. Audrey, sensing the mood, stayed quiet as well.
Yann was the youngest rising star in the business world, a far cry from the carefree Yanny she once knew–the guy who used to share a cramped basement with her and could make fast food feel like a gourmet seafood feast.
Back then, Yann was always laughing and joking, carrying a roguish charm.
“When has he changed? When has he become this composed, commanding figure whose every move exuded authority and pressure?‘ Audrey wondered.
Suddenly, a car swerved into their lane, forcing Calvin to slam on the brakes. The abrupt jolt sent the document sliding off Yann’s lap.
Audrey instinctively bent down to pick it up. Her hand froze. Instead of the document, her fingers brushed against Yann’s hand.
His hand was long–fingered and smooth, with faint calluses on the pads of his fingers. It wasn’t soft–his bones felt firm, unyielding.
Audrey looked up, her gaze locking with Yann’s as he also leaned down.
His lips were so close to her forehead that she could feel his warm breath brushing against her skin. Her heart skipped a beat.
She quickly pulled her hand back, her cheeks burning as she straightened in her seat, trying to act composed.
Yann didn’t seem fazed. He leaned down further, picked up the document, and flipped back to the page he had been reading. His tone was calm but carried a hint of reprimand. “If you can’t drive property, just don’t.”
“Apologies, Mr. Winifred. It won’t happen again,” Calvin said, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
Audrey thought they were heading home, but to her surprise, the car was going in the opposite direction. “Where are we going?”
Yann marked something on the document and said calmly, “Let’s go pick up the car.”
Audrey said apologetically, “Sorry, I scratched the Range Rover pretty badly. Even though they paid for the damage, the owner must be upset.”
“If it weren’t so expensive, I might’ve thought about buying it,” she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
The car had been offered to please Yann, and Audrey had managed to scratch it after just one drive.
Even though the repairs made it look good as new, the owner probably wasn’t thrilled.
Yann glanced at her. “You want to buy it?”
Audrey hesitated. She really did like the car. Sure, it was big and tricky to park, but the visibility was amazing,
Sure, it was big and tricky to park, but the visibility was amazing.
Audrey forced a smile. “Think the owner would sell it to me at a discount?”
Yann’s lips twitched. “How much do you have?”
“Clayton gave me 300 thousand dollars after the divorce,” she said.
“Deal” Yann’s tone was calm.
Audrey stared at him, suspicion creeping into her gaze. Was he waiting for me to say that?‘ she wondered.
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20:53 Sat 31 May
Chapter 66
Yann turned to look out the window, the smile on his lips growing. Soon, the car pulled into the Range Rover dealership.
27%0
Calvin went to handle the paperwork and soon drove the Range Rover out. Audrey was surprised. “Didn’t they say they didn’t have the original factory paint and that it would take a few days?”
“Our dealership indeed didn’t have it. They had the original paint flown in from overseas,” the receptionist explained with a smile.
Audrey turned to look at Yann. He stood by the window, the setting sun casting a golden glow around him.
It seems his business partners are quite impressive. Otherwise, who would go to the trouble of flying in original factory paint just to repair a car?‘ she
wondered.
After the paperwork was done, Calvin handed her the keys. “I’ll handle the ownership transfer as soon as possible.”
Audrey took the keys. “Should I transfer the money to you?”
“Just give it to Mr. Winifred.” Calvin smiled.
0
‘That makes sense. It’s easier to handle things when Yann is involved,‘ Audrey wondered.
On the way back, Audrey drove the Range Rover. As soon as she got in, she transferred the money to Yann.
She glanced at her account balance and winced. ‘Thank goodness for the work at Stride Commerce. At least I won’t miss my mortgage payments,‘ she thought.
Yann glanced at the text message on his phone and instructed Calvin, “Open an account for her and find an excellent manager to handle her
investments.”
“Got it,” said Calvin.
Yann called Audrey. “I have plans tonight, so I won’t be home for dinner.”
Clayton spent the entire workday feeling restless and anxious.
Finally, after navigating a web of connections, he managed to track down Malcolm’s address in Ironhaven. Clayton quickly grabbed some gifts and
rushed over.
“Hello, I’m Clayton, one of Mr. William’s students. I’ve come specifically to pay my respects to him,” he said politely to the servant at the door.
“Please wait a moment.” The servant disappeared inside and returned shortly after. “Mr. William is currently entertaining guests and isn’t available to see
you.”
Clayton glanced at the driveway. His car was the only one parked there. ‘What guests? They’re clearly avoiding me,‘ he thought.
Suppressing his discomfort, Clayton forced a smile and said, “I’ll wait. Please, at least take these gifts inside for him.”
The servant didn’t even bother opening the gate. “Sorry, but that’s not possible. Mr. William specifically instructed us not to accept any gifts from
anyone.”
Clayton felt his throat tighten, his words caught in his chest. Left with no other option, he retreated to his car and waited.
An hour passed, then two. The sky darkened, but the so–called guest still hadn’t appeared.
‘This isn’t working,‘ Clayton thought, stepping out of the car. ‘I need to show them how serious I am.‘ He decided to stand at the door, hoping his mentor would notice his determination.
Inside, the servant brought tea to the lounge and whispered, “Mr. Patel is here again.”
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Chapter 66
Malcolm placed a chess piece on the board. “What did he say?”
“Nothing. He’s just standing at the door,” she said.
སྤྱན་གྱི་ཟབ་ 7༩ ༡2][ཁོ་ གྱི་ཆོས་པ་རྟོགས།
Malcolm glanced at the elderly man sitting across from him. Samson, his father, was a seasoned figure in the industry. With his graying hair, he idly rolled a bead in one hand while holding a chess piece in the other. “If he wants to stand, let him stand,” he said indifferently.
The servant left and went back to her tasks.
Malcolm then recounted the recent incident involving a scratched car to his father, sneering, “You used to say he was all about appearances, and I didn’t quite believe it. But now, I see you were right.”
Samson placed his chess piece, capturing several of his son’s pieces in one move, and chuckled. “Mistaking treasure for trash–he’s bound to face the consequences sooner or later.”
Malcolm laughed along, then heard his father ask, “Did you send the invitation to Stride Commerce?”
“I did. Don’t worry, Dad, I know what needs to be done,” Malcolm said.
O
Meanwhile, Clayton had been standing at the door for two hours. His legs were stiff, and he couldn’t endure it any longer. He jabbed at the doorbell
again.
“Please, just tell Mr. William I’ve come all this way to see him. I only need a minute–just a few words,” he said.
The servant acted as if she had only just noticed him. “Oh, you’re still here? I thought you’d left. Mr. William has had a long day meeting guests and is now resting.”
The gate remained firmly shut as if to underline the message. Inside, the lights glowed brightly, and shadows flickered across the windows, proof that Samson was still awake but had no intention of seeing him.
Frustration burned in Clayton’s chest, but he had no outlet for it.
The party was on Wednesday. There was still time. He resolved to come back tomorrow. He had to see his mentor and get that invitation.
If Clayton missed such a significant event, he would lose the prestigious title of Samson’s prized student.
And once that happened, he’d be nothing more than a laughingstock in the industry, pushed down by everyone around him.
୯
Audrey worked late into the night, only stopping when she heard the sound of a car pulling up downstairs.
Audrey stood up and saw Calvin step out of the car. He opened the back door and waited for a moment before Yann slowly got out, his movements sluggish and unsteady.
As Calvin closed the car door, Yann swayed slightly.
By the time Audrey made her way downstairs, Calvin had already helped Yann into the living room.
“Ms. Henderson, Mr. Winifred had quite a bit to drink at tonight’s dinner,” Calvin explained.
As Audrey approached, the strong smell of alcohol hit her. She stepped in to support Yann from the other side. “I’ll go get some sobering–up pills,” she said.
“Thank you,” Calvin replied.
Together, they helped Yann onto the couch. When Audrey returned with the sobering–up pills, Calvin was already gone. Left behind was Yann, sprawled on the couch, irritably tugging at the buttons of his shirt.
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