Tony must have felt Sean’s eyes on him. When he turned casually, he was met by a pair of somber eyes. Smirking, he said, “You left in a hurry last time so I didn’t get the chance to congratulate you, Director Chase. I heard you and Miss Fisher are getting married next month. I hope you live a long and happy life together.”
Those words plunged into Sean’s heart like a sharp awl. His lips moved. “Thank you, Director Hart.”
He looked away after he spoke. The lines on his cheek turned stone-cold as if he was suppressing his anger.
Tony smiled faintly, but there was not a trace of warmth in his eyes.
Shortly after, the conference reached its peak. Tony was the last to go up on stage after Sean was done with his turn. When he went on stage, the lively energy of the crowd almost ripped through the roof of the auditorium.
The students in the audience posed many questions such as what he was like in school, problems in the early stages of entrepreneurship, and the reason he succeeded the Hart Group.
“Mr. Tony, according to what we know, the Hartwell Group’s development in the United States is at its peak now. If it continues to flourish this way, the scale of the group will exceed the current Hart Group within five years. Why did you decide to split the shares and continue to develop the business in Bradfort City?” A student stood up excitedly after being selected and asked a question that everyone had anticipated.
Tony’s handsome face was calm throughout the entire conference. He already looked unrivaled in his suit and leather shoes, but the rich experiences he had acquired over the years gave him a reserved attitude that could only be attained with age. Both men and women were subdued by his steadiness.
“This question…” Upon hearing the question, his lips eased a little, and a faint smile also grew in his eyes. “Because the woman I love was born here and likes it here, so I’m willing to stay for her.”
The tension was pushed up to the peak again. They did not think that one of the most eligible bachelors who was rumored to be single for many years would publicize his relationship so suddenly. It seemed like an incredibly sweet gesture.
Finally, someone noticed the ring on his left hand that was on the microphone. The deep blue stone did not stand out, but it was not hard to notice either.
“Are you engaged now, Director Hart?” someone chirped from below the stage.
It was clear that it was a question on everyone’s minds.
Tony glanced at the ring on his left hand elegantly then inadvertently brushed over the front row. He nodded with a smile. “The wedding day is not too far away.”
“Oh!” they clamored. It looked like someone wanted to ask Tony about his fiancée, but the host noticed that they were going way out of topic now and was worried that it would annoy the man who was currently speaking on stage. Running up on stage, the host intercepted, “We don’t have much time left, everyone. This will be the last question. Don’t let it go to waste!”
Sean had an overcast look on his face as he watched the elegant and calm man on stage.
Their wedding day isn’t far away? He sneered. Getting up out of annoyance, he decided not to stay here any longer when a male student stood up abruptly and asked, “Mr. Tony, the latest news that was published this morning claimed that you have bought close to sixty percent of real estate in Hilliville and have started inviting businesses to bring the dead city back to life. Can you please tell us if this is true?”
Sean’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
A piercing feeling quickly started to spread within him. His line of vision also shifted toward the calm man on stage in an instant.
Time went by slowly, but it also felt like it was going by very quickly.
Sean kept his eyes fixed on the man on stage until he finally heard the words come out of his mouth. “It’s true.”
When Tony said that, his eyes seemed to be looking in Sean’s direction. The curl of his lips made it look like he was smiling and mocking him at the same time. Its implications were unclear, but it was profound.
At that moment, darkness flashed across Sean’s mind. Something was clear to him, but he was unable to put his finger on it.
In the middle of the crowd’s cheering, he watched the man walk toward him elegantly.
On stage, the school’s representative began a dull speech. The man beside him just kept his head down and played with his phone.
Sean did not leave right away. As he watched the dignified man texting with his head down, he sneered because he happened to see Tony type ‘my dear’. It was obvious who it was for.
He felt like his heart was being crushed, but he was unwilling to leave.
After that, Tony seemed to have gotten a lot of texts on his phone which he ignored for the time being. Some time later, his phone started to vibrate.
A picture popped up on the screen which showed a man and a woman sharing an intimate kiss. There was a sweet look in the woman’s surprised gaze.
Staring at the picture, Sean felt like his head was starting to hurt again.
Tony turned and saw Sean looking at him with a blank expression. In a casual tone, he commented, “My girlfriend is a bit clingy. She texts and calls me even when we’re apart for a short time.”
Without waiting for Sean’s response, he proceeded to answer the call inside the noisy auditorium.
Sean was only able to hear brief parts of the conversation. “I’m in the auditorium. Yes, I know you miss me. Didn’t I say I would pick you up at noon? Be good. Let’s go eat seafood for lunch if that’s what you want. Don’t make a fuss; I’ll be done soon. You don’t have to come here… Okay, then. It’s your university. Come by. Leo also has something else to do anyway.”
After the call ended, Tony looked at Sean’s blank expression again and spoke with a bit of reluctance. “She is young and can be needy. Sorry about that Director Chase.”
Sean’s face turned ashen. He did not say a word in return and simply headed outside.
At the same time, Myra who had gotten hung up on was feeling rather bewildered. Tony had spoken nonsense on the phone. He did not give her a chance to speak and left her dumbfounded. Nonetheless, she caught onto the last part—he wanted her to pick him up at Bradfort University.
There were not many workers who went to work extra shifts on a Saturday. After she sorted everything out, she was going to leave when she received a call from Cameron.
As soon as she arrived at Cameron’s office, Kris happened to come out from inside. She did not look too good. When she saw Myra, her eyes filled with jealousy and resentment. Since she was always good at putting up an act in front of Cameron, she kept her anger suppressed and simply glared at Myra before leaving Cameron’s office.
With a smirk, Myra knocked on the door and went in. She found Cameron sitting on the executive chair with his eyes closed as though he was deep in thought.
When he saw her, his eyes narrowed slightly. He tapped his cigarette on the edge of the ashtray and asked in a mild tone, “Myra, how are preparations going for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Project? Are you confident?”
Even though she despised Cameron, she always kept a serious attitude when she was working. She gave him a nod. “The draft for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Project was done very well in the past. I only fixed some details. I can’t say I’m confident as I can only do my best and hope that I’m lucky.”
He nodded. Putting out his cigarette, he stood up and looked at Myra. His eyes seemed even more gentle. “I trust your work, Myra.” After a brief moment of hesitation, he continued, “I know you’re in conflict with Rachel and Kris. Initially, I wanted you to come back home because home is your true harbor, but since you’re unwilling to, I can’t force you either. I heard you’re living in Ocean Blue Residence now. It’s quite far from the Stark Group. After giving it some thought, I want to give you that villa in Cape District. It will make it more convenient for you to get to work, too. What do you think?”
