Chapter 1303

"Who the hell are you?" Austin tugged at his collar, his tone a stark contrast to his usual gentlemanly demeanor.

"I—I'm Mrs. Moore. We've met before," the woman replied, her voice slightly upset yet ingratiating.

Austin had no idea who she was. "Mrs. Moore? Which one? I don't know a Mrs. Moore!" He rarely interacted with women beyond his relatives and a few close friends; the idea of knowing someone else's wife was foreign to him.

Then Maria's voice, anxious and rapid, cut through his confusion: "Mr. Fike, I'm Mrs. Moore. We met at the seminar the other day. We exchanged a few words; you were even..." She hesitated, on the verge of mentioning the drink-splashing incident, but quickly reconsidered, fearing offense. "Many people were there. You probably met many people, so you wouldn't remember me. Haha..." Her awkward laugh failed to mask her intent. Austin, however, understood perfectly. He remembered Lily splashing water in his face that night, the humiliation fresh in his mind.

'Great! Another reason to hate her! This enmity will never end,' he thought.

"Mr. Fike, do you remember now?" Maria asked cautiously, sensing his silence.

'Remember my ass! So many people were there. How could I remember everyone I spoke to?' he scoffed internally. Displeased, he asked, "How did you get my number?"

Austin guarded his phone number jealously, instructing his family to do the same. He'd grown weary of unwanted attention ever since his association with Dominic had brought him unwanted fame. Requests for treatment, medication, herbal knowledge, even unsolicited "discussions" had overwhelmed him. He'd subsequently changed his number and strictly forbade its dissemination.

This woman's possession of his number was therefore unexpected. 'She's resourceful,' he mused.

"Well, I went through a lot of trouble to get your number, and I have something important to discuss. Would you be free for dinner sometime?"

Austin looked in the mirror, his reflection cold and hard. He spat out, "No!"

Maria was stunned by his hostility, his abrupt rejection leaving her uncomfortable. "Mr. Fike, you haven't even heard what it is, and you're rejecting me. Isn't that rude? What I have to tell you is beneficial! Do you really..." Austin cut her off impatiently: "I don't need it!"