Chapter 335
I was in a real pickle, wondering if I should hand over the USB stick to Neil.
Malinda, the smart cookie, gathered a lot of dirt on Bonnie. What intrigued me the most was a conversation between Bonnie and Kate Aaron she stumbled upon, hinting at money laundering involving StarGlow Enterprises.
T
The conversation wasn’t crystal clear, but it was a smoking gun which proved their knowledge and involvement.
After stewing over it for a bit, I finally copied all the evidence from the USB stick and shot it over to Neil.
About half an hour later, Neil rang me up and asked, “Where did this come from?”
“Malinda gave it to me,” I confessed, “Malinda approached me once before and gave me this stuff. I’ve been covering for her this whole time. If Bonnie knew, she’d be in hot water.”
“Alright, I got it,” Neil sounded serious, “When did she give this to you?”
I thought for a moment and then spilled the beans.
Neil went silent for a bit, then chuckled, “Didn’t want to tell me earlier, huh? Keeping me at arm’s length?”
That question was a bit awkward because I was indeed keeping him at bay. Only after all we’ve been through those days did I decide to hand over the document. It was the last piece of the puzzle between us.
Seeing me silent, Neil probably figured out my answer. He didn’t blame me or mock me; he just sighed lightly.
“I’m not keeping anything from you anymore!”
Instead of grilling me, Neil’s soft sigh made me feel even guiltier.
“Okay, I trust you,” Neil’s voice softened a bit, “You must remember, I’ll always have your back.”
Neil was being overly understanding. I was not quite used to it, but deep down, I was pleased.
I yearned for that feeling for a long time, and then I finally felt it. No matter how much I had been through, I was still moved.
I responded lightly, then ended the call.
Work was hectic and time flew by. The biggest deal on my plate at the time was a business collaboration with Ethan Foster’s FarHorizon Group. It was definitely a top priority.
After work, I gave Stella a shout about Chloe’s dinner invitation.
“Just go. What’s there to be scared of?” Stella didn’t hesitate, “If she pulls anything, I’ll give her a piece of my mind!”
“You’re that tough?” I chuckled, “Alright then, you pick the spot. Come with me when it’s time.”
“No problem, I promise to pick the best place in Rosemont for you,” Stella was confident.
But we didn’t know that this dinner would leave an indelible scar in our minds.
Stella picked the restaurant, and I texted the address and time to Chloe. She replied quickly, “Okay, see you then.”
When the time came, Stella and I headed to the rendezvous. On the way there, I got a text from Russel, warning me not to accept any
invitations from Chloe.
The text made me jittery.
But Stella and I were already at the rendezvous.
“My husband will be dining here too. Relax. If Chloe pulls anything, we’ve got enough manpower!” Stella gave me a pat on the back.
It felt like we were not there for dinner but to face potential conflict.
But her words did soothe me a bit. With her husband, Mitch Hebert around, at least someone could step in if anything went south.
Stella was very thoughtful. She picked a private room next to Mitch’s. When Mitch saw me, his eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but take a –peek at the door of his room.
That glance told me Neil was definitely there.
Otherwise, Mitch wouldn’t have had that excited look.
“Ms. Finch, you’re here already?” Chloe arrived fashionably late. She was all dolled up, looking gorgeous. Her worn-out look from our previous encounter was gone.
Following Chloe were her parents.
After we exchanged greetings, we entered the private room. Chloe ordered a ton of fancy dishes and two bottles of high-end wine.
I had a bad feeling, and Chloe’s constant smile made me uneasy.
Throughout the dinner, nothing went wrong. Chloe’s parents expressed their gratitude, and I responded politely.
As the dinner was about to wrap up, Chloe suddenly smiled at me, “Ms. Finch, Russel called me, asking me not to commit suicide because you promised to have dinner with him, right?”
Everyone’s face changed as soon as she said that.
Stella quickly came to my defense, “Rena and Russel are done. She only agreed to stop you from doing something stupid. What are you implying?”
Chloe’s parents also looked serious.
“I meant nothing. I was just asking,” Chloe didn’t get mad; instead, she smiled even more. She stood up and said, “You guys can go ahead. I’ll take care of the bill.”
I didn’t want to come to dinner in the first place, so I was glad to leave early. I grabbed Stella, and we headed out.
Downstairs in the hotel, I ran into Mitch. He was saying goodbye to a man who seemed to be his business partner.
“Sweetheart, how did I do today? I got the contract signed.” Mitch quickly buttered up Stella.
“Absolutely fantastic!” Stella didn’t hold back her praise.
Mitch took another look at me, then said somewhat shyly, “But I can’t take all the credit. I invited Neil today. Without him, I couldn’t have pulled it off!”
As soon as he finished, Neil walked out of the hotel entrance. He was there to accompany Mitch for business, so he was dressed to the nines. His perfect figure was tightly wrapped in a finely tailored, handmade suit, attracting many gazes. When he looked at me with those deep eyes, I was deeply struck.
Seeing me, Neil raised an eyebrow, then looked away.
I pretended not to know him and deliberately didn’t react.
Mitch watched our reactions, and a disappointed look crossed his face.
“Neil, I didn’t expect to bump into Rena here. She’s dining with my wife,” Mitch could totally consider a career in matchmaking if he wasn’t already busy with his own company.
Neil gave a brief response. His demeanor was chilly.
I didn’t say much either and just headed towards my car. Stella never liked Neil, so she followed close behind me.
I had only walked a few steps when suddenly there was a scream, “Ah!”
