Chapter 26
Thea knew how to choose between the fleeting satisfaction of revenge and risking Nicolas's wrath. She shot Jake a scornful smirk. "Oh really? And can you guarantee you weren't with Madelyn yesterday?"
As expected, Jake's eyes shifted nervously. He quickly tried to explain, "Madelyn was upset yesterday, and you weren't answering me, so I just-
"Mr. Hendrix, did you forget that you publicly declared we had nothing to do with each other?" Thea cut him off with a
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I was just angry! We've had fights like this before. Why are you taking it so seriously?" he said matter-of-factly.
It was true. In the seven years they were together, they'd broken up and reconciled more times than she could count. Each time, Thea had swallowed her pride, either buying Jake gifts or apologizing first to smooth things over. "Well, this time it's real" Thea said, her patience running thin. She pushed past him, ready to leave.
But Jake wasn't done. He grabbed her hand again, his eyes narrowing. "Even if that's true, you saw how I just helped you out back there."
"Well, thanks," Thea replied coolly.
Jake's frustration grew, his voice rising. Thea, don't you see? Nicolas is setting you up to fail with this project. It's impossible to close that deal. You should just quit before you waste more time."
Thea turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "Is that what you think of as a set-up? Seems like your abilities are pretty limited. Hate to break it to you, but I thrive on challenges
Jake's face flushed red with embarrassment, and before he could respond, Thea's phone buzzed.
She glanced at the caller ID, and a small smile played on her lips. "Sorry. They're reaching out to ask if I'm free for dinner tonight"
Ignoring Jake's sour expression, she brushed him off and walked away, her mood noticeably lighter.
Later, in the restaurant's private room, Thea was going over her notes, preparing for the conversation ahead. Suddenly, the door swung open, and a waitress entered, looking slightly impatient. "Miss, it's past the time you When can we start serving?" Thea checked her watch. "Let me make a call and check" She dialed several times, but there was no a answer. booked.
On the sixth try, a cold female voice finally came from the other end of the line. "Miss Rowland, right? My apologies, but after reconsideration, our boss has decided it's not the right time to proceed with this partnership. If the opportunity arises. in the future, we'll be in touch." Thea froze, her grip tightening on her phone as the abrupt rejection sank in. There was no room for negotiation, and the sudden change in attitude left her confused.
Just an hour ago, they were open to discussing details, which meant the deal wasn't off the table yet. But it had changed so drastically
Taking a deep breath, Thea adjusted her tone. Is there an issue with my proposal? I'm happy to make adjustments if needed."
"There's no problem at all. Qur boss just doesn't want to work with you anymore. If there's nothing else, please don't contact us again. With that, the woman hung up immediately.
The waitress was getting impatient, standing at the door with her arms crossed. Seeing Thea's pale and flustered expression, she sneered, "Miss, couldn't land the client, huh? Well, look at you. It's no surprise. But can you pull yourself together and get out of here soon? We need this room for other reservations"
Thea stood, her gaze sharpening as she met the waitress's smug expression. "Do you even know my last name?"
The waitress rolled I her eyes, unimpressed.
"It's Rowland. The same as your boss. Thea took a step closer. "Call your manager."
The waitress's face paled instantly. This restaurant was owned by the Rowland family, and all the family members were treated as VIPs here, except for Thea. It was no wonder the waitress didn't recognize her.
After dealing with the waitress, Thea had no time or mood for self-pity. She rushed to stake out the hotel where the buyer was staying, timing it carefully.
Fortunately, her prior interactions with them had been friendly, and she had done her research. She knew their routine. Thea waited for half an hour but still didn't spot the Silvercreek buyer, and her patience was wearing thin.
Just then, she spotted a familiar figure the buyer's assistant, who had joined her on behalf of the buyer during the mine inspection earlier.
Thea quickly approached, slightly out of breath. "Excuse me," she said, trying to keep her tone steady. "I don't know if I offended your boss somehow, but I wanted to apologize if that's the case. Can you at least tell me why you've decided not to work with me?" Her mind raced, running through every possibility. Their initial meetings had gone smoothly, so she needed to know what had caused this sudden change.
Unlike their first polite meeting, the assistant now regarded Thea with cold disdain. "Miss Rowland, if I were you, I wouldn't bother chasing after reasons. Isn't this just humiliating yourself?
Thea felt a pang of unease but forced a polite smile. "I understand the cooperation didn't work out, but we routinely conduct feedback surveys with our clients to improve.
The assistant sneered, crossing his arms, "Feedback? We just hope your company won't send women like you ones with questionable character and hidden agendas - to negotiate with us ever again."
Thea blinked, stunned. "What do you mean? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Clearly fed up, the assistant raised his voice. "At first, I thought you were a capable professional who earned your position through hard work. But it turns out I was wrong. Don't you know what you've done?
"You seduced your superior, though he had a girlfriend, to get ahead. Now that things aren't going smoothly with him, you're trying to hook up with the boss to get back at his girlfriend How can someone be so-shameless?" For a moment, Thea was too shocked to respond. Then, a bitter laugh escaped her.
"Who told you this? Do you just believe whatever rumors you hear and judge people based on that? Do you really think I've achieved everything through underhanded means?" Thea gritted her teeth, her voice tinged with anger.
The assistant waved his phone in her face, his expression triumphant. "See this? Chat logs, voice recordings, all the proof is right here.
"Our boss hates homewreckers more than anything. The only reason we haven't exposed this yet is because you work for