Chapter 326
Ever since that call, my communication with Neil had dwindled to almost nothing besides necessary interactions.
I didn’t idle about it, though. After settling the Morse family’s folks, I started digging for dirt on FarHorizon Group. If they were into money laundering, they must have some weak spots.
Still, I had no clue when I would stumble upon these weak spots.
“Ms. Finch, your mom wants her phone back now. She wants to chat with some friends. What should I do?” Hannah approached me nervously.
“I’ll invite her friends over for dinner and a chat. Tell her that the doctor advised her to avoid overworking her brain. We’ll return her phone when she’s feeling better, save her from straining her eyes,” I advised Hannah.
Hannah nodded, knowing full well that this was a temporary solution. My mom would grow suspicious eventually.
Armed with some documents from home, I had Bailey drop me off at a gathering.
Ethan Foster orchestrated the party. I knew beforehand that I’d be running into some faces I’d rather not see.
Sure enough, Gloria, Bonnie, and Kate Aaron were present when I arrived. Thankfully, Neil wasn’t.
Gloria was really bold, openly hanging out with Ethan Foster despite being married. She seemed utterly indifferent to the gossip.
“Ms. Finch, you’ve arrived. Please, have a seat,” Gloria greeted me with a phony smile.
I returned the smile and sat down, facing Bonnie.
Bonnie glanced at me. To my surprise, her gaze wasn’t filled with the usual jealousy and hostility. Instead, she looked calm and smug, like a winner.
Seemed like Neil had been treating her well over the past few days, or she wouldn’t look so smug.
The thought of Neil sacrificing his comfort because of me made me feel a bit guilty. Yet, a part of me felt he deserved it. Who asked him not to let go of me?
This gathering was clearly a setup. Ethan Foster, a seemingly polite and cultured man, had a cunning aura about him.
He seemed to have conveniently forgotten about drugging me and was still eager to collaborate with me.
The conversation at the gathering revolved around our future cooperation. FarHorizon Group was not only collaborating with my company but also with StarGlow Enterprises.
These guys had no genuine intention to cooperate. They merely wanted to harm me. Therefore, I took everything they said about business with a grain of salt.
“Excuse me, I have to take this call,” Bonnie suddenly interrupted, her face glowing with joy.
“Is it Neil? Go ahead,” Gloria said, smiling.
I watched silently as Bonnie happily answered the call, even putting it on speaker as if to make sure I heard everything
Neil’s voice always had a special texture that was pleasant to the ears. He asked, “Where are you?”
“I’m having dinner with mom and dad,” Bonnie said, referring to Gloria and Ethan Foster as her parents with ease.
“When will you finish? I’ll pick you up,” Neil said, prompting Bonnie to glance at me, seemingly searching for my reaction.
I lowered my head, avoiding her gaze, taking a gulp of my drink.
Now, Neil was the one being proactive. I felt a pang of discomfort. While I had hoped Neil would use Bonnie to find Ethan Foster’s weakness, he had always been reluctant, even preferring a more direct approach.
Hearing him speak so gently to Bonnie was startling. It reminded me of a time when I overheard him talking to Bonnie like that.
I was slightly dazed. It felt like I was thrown back in time.
“It might take a while. Have you finished your meeting?” Bonnie asked, her entire aura radiating happiness.
“It’s over. Tell me where you are,” Neil’s voice remained gentle.
“I’ll text you later. Don’t come over too soon. It might be awkward,” Bonnie hesitated.
Neil just laughed and said, “Don’t worry. What could possibly make me feel awkward? I’ll be there soon.”
With that, he hung up. Bonnie blushed, her happiness apparent as she said, “He’s really attentive nowadays. Can’t help it.”
“That’s great. You two are getting closer. Maybe you could consider getting engaged soon,” Gloria suggested.
Rumor had it that Neil and Bonnie were engaged before, which fell through. If it happened again, Bonnie would be the laughingstock.
“Sure, we’ll see what he decides,” Bonnie responded.
The taste of the alcohol lingered on my tongue, but I felt no burn. Neil’s voice and tone echoed in my mind.
Was I jealous? The sudden realization took me aback.
Neil had once blamed me for not being jealous, yet here I was, consumed by envy.
How could this happen? I was slightly perplexed. I tried to brush off the jealousy brewing within me.
“Let’s not discuss personal matters now. Ms. Finch is here. I hope our companies can cooperate happily and mutually benefit,” Ethan Foster turned the conversation back to business.
“Sure, Dad. I understand,” Bonnie responded.
“Here’s to a fruitful collaboration,” I raised my glass, plastering on a polite smile, careful not to reveal my inner turmoil.
Neil would arrive soon to pick up Bonnie. I didn’t want to run into him, lest our eye contact give away our little secret to Ethan Foster and Bonnie.
So, after finishing most of my drink and wrapping up the conversation, I got up to leave.
“Irene, I’ll leave with you,” Bonnie stood up as well. “Neil should be here soon. I’ll wait for him downstairs.”
Wasn’t this just her being spiteful? I knew it full well, but I still didn’t refuse Bonnie. “Alright, let’s go.”
We both went down the stairs, crossed the fancy hotel lobby, and got to the main entrance.
Throughout the whole process, Bonnie didn’t say a word, which was way off the norm.
Now that she considered herself Neil’s lover, she thought I had already lost, so she didn’t feel the need to mock me anymore. Wasn’t this just how it was in my past life? Neil was protecting her, so she didn’t need to confront me head on. All she had to do was
head hide behind Neil, and she could easily win the war.
Maybe this feeling made it easy for me to slip into the dissatisfaction from my past life, and my mood suddenly became very irritable.
Neil’s ride was already here. His speed was really something, like he was in a hurry to pick up Bonnie and scared she might have to wait too long.
