Chapter 13 The Photo
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When the department managers heard that the president of Apex Group was coming to discuss a potential partnership, most of them were excited, though a few seemed a little uneasy.
Florence quietly observed the reactions, her mind racing with thoughts. It seemed that Albert’s involvement in the Brooks
Group might have started earlier than she had expected.
At two o’clock in the afternoon, Charles arrived at the company right on schedule, and Florence was there to greet him personally.
Seeing her make such an effort, he couldn’t help but smile faintly.
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Florence had planned to take him to the reception room, but Charles spoke up first. “I’m actually curious about your office. Would it be okay if we talked there?”
“Of course,” she said, a little surprised, but agreed without hesitation.
As they entered her office, Charles‘ eyes immediately landed on two framed photos sitting on the desk.
One was a warm, family photo of Florence with her father.
The other was a wedding photo of her and Albert. In that one, Florence was
smiling sweetly, while Albert had a cold, indifferent expression.
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The moment Charlos cow that picture his
Chapter 13 The Photo
smile faded away.
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“Ms. Brooks,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “I thought you were serious about the divorce. Now it looks like it was just a spur–of–the–moment thing?”
Florence followed his gaze and saw the wedding photo of her and Albert.
Without a second thought, she stood up, picked up the photo frame, and tossed it into the trash can beside her desk.
“I almost forgot about that,” she said with a light chuckle. “Of course, I’m going through with the divorce. After all, the paperwork is already ready.“–
A cold flicker passed through Charles‘
eyes, and he gave a faint smile. “Once 3710 you’ve
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finalized the divorce, I’ll throw you a
party,” he said, his deep voice smooth
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like velvet as he sipped his freshly brewed coffee.
Even when lounging casually, Charles exuded an aura of elegance and composure that made it impossible to approach him without feeling a bit intimidated.
Florence was momentarily distracted, her mind racing. He sounded almost pleased about her divorce.
“Wait… could he actually like me?” she
wondered.
But that thought was quickly dismissed. After all, Charles was going to be the
future president. She’d heard his
4/10
soon–to–be wife came from a
werful
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Chapter 13 The Photo
It wasn’t about feeling inferior. Men like him, destined for the top, would surely
choose a partner who could benefit his
career.
She wanted Charles as a strong ally, but she didn’t think he’d fall in love with her.
Bes
Besides, she wasn’t in the right place emotionally to start anything new.
Florence suppressed her thoughts and gave Charles a small smile. “In that case, thank you in advance, Mr. Foster.”
With that, they shifted their focus to the business partnership.
The Brooks Group mainly dealt in jewelry. While they’d always done well, they didn’t
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have much recognition on the
international stage. That was why
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Florence had a clear goal. She wanted to turn the company’s jewelry brand into a global luxury name.
As for Albert, his current company had originally been a subsidiary of the Brooks Group.
It was her idea to let him run it. He’d told
her that his family didn’t trust him with the main business yet because of his age, and he needed an opportunity to prove himself.
Feeling sorry for him, Florence had convinced her father to give him a subsidiary to manage.
Now she realized that it had all been a lie. 6/10 Albert had tricked her. His real goal had
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Brooks Group.
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This time, things would be different. She wouldn’t be so naive, and she was going to take back that subsidiary.
To be honest, Charles wasn’t particularly interested in how much profit investing in Brooks Group’s jewelry might bring. He had agreed to meet with her because of her uncle, the Minister of Defense.
But as he listened to Florence’s plans, he found himself impressed.
It was clear she wasn’t just a pretty face.
She was smart, too.
He couldn’t help but think Albert was truly blind, not to appreciate her more.
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The way he looked at her changed. There was a new layer of admiration in his gaze.
Two hours passed before Florence’s phone suddenly rang.
She saw it was Albert calling, and without hesitation, she hit the reject button.
But two minutes later, Peter knocked and stepped in.
“Ms. Brooks, Mr. Morris called. He says it’s urgent.”
Florence glanced apologetically at Charles. “Sorry, I’ll just take this call.”
Charles nodded, his expression
unreadable.
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Once she stepped outside a flicker of
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something deeper crossed Charles‘ eyes.
“What is it?” Florence’s voice was sharp as
she answered the call.
“Did you forget about dinner with my parents tonight? They’ve been calling me, and I’m coming to pick you up.”
Florence didn’t want to go. Her husband’s parents had never been fond of her, always expecting her to be the perfect,
traditional wife.
But as she thought about the jewelry she had given Albert’s mother, she couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.
“You don’t need to pick me up,” she replied flatly. “I’ll drive myself.”
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Without waiting for him to respond, she
ended the call.
Albert stared at his phone in disbelief, fuming with anger.
Peter had already told him that Charles was at the Brooks Group, discussing
business with Florence.
He couldn’t let the Brooks family’s business grow stronger. He had to find a way to get her back in line. Even if Charles was willing to cooperate, it would have to be with his company, not hers.
B
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