Chapter 621

After the Lantern Festival, school was about to start again. Before that, I helped Yvonne pack up her stuff for school.

Yvonne cupped my face and showered me with kisses, her eyes shining brightly at me. “Mom, I just realized how much I love you.”

Hearing that, my eyes grew misty, and a wave of indescribable emotion washed over me.

“Mom, why are you crying?” Yvonne asked, surprised.

I smiled. “I’m not crying. Just got something in my eye.”

Yvonne totally believed me. She reached out to gently lift my eyelid, then leaned in and blew softly a few times. “Does it still hurt now?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Nope, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Once school started, life settled back into a steady rhythm of work. In Hachester, a local tycoon was about to marry a top-tier celebrity, and every luxury hotel wanted to snag this high-profile client. Naturally, I was determined to win him over.

The celebrity had huge influence and a massive fan following. If our hotel could host her wedding, it would save the hotel a fortune in promotion costs.

My first task after the new year was to negotiate this business.

The celebrity lived in Shaville, so I took my team there.

She had some pretty demanding requirements, especially regarding the venue decoration and arrangements. She insisted our team handle everything, and there was a long list of demands. My team immediately started negotiating according to her specifications, and in the end, we landed the contract.

With endless meetings and constant trips between cities, time quietly slipped by until, before I knew it, April had crept up on me.

Spring was in full bloom, the air buzzing with energy, and everything seemed to be bursting with life. It felt like hope was right there in front of me.

During this time, Jared would sometimes be obvious, sometimes subtle, always trying to move things forward between us.

But I just treated him like he was invisible, either pretending not to hear or playing dumb to brush it off. Jared was at a loss, but he always kept things respectful.

As for Nathan, he was always swamped with R&D work. Whenever we managed to grab a meal together, I noticed his hair looked a little less gray than before, and that put me at ease.

Nathan was throwing himself even more into his work. He always said that unless he became stronger, he couldn’t give the people he loved the security they deserved. That’s why he was focusing on his career first.

I told him I was hustling for my own career too.

In 2015, the stock market crashed, and the fallout was going to last a long time. Jared had a solid plan in place, and whenever we got together for dinner, he’d nudge Nathan about trimming his portfolio. Nathan was already on it, but with the real estate market about to take off and the government stepping in to clear out unsold properties, things were looking up for the industry.

So I jumped on the bandwagon and moved my money into real estate too.

At the end of April, Jared knocked on my office door. “There’s a short-term training program in the United Kingdom. I’ve already signed you up. You should go and pick up some new skills.”

I nodded. “Sounds good. Work’s been pretty steady lately, so it’s a good time to pick up some fresh ideas.”

Jared fixed his gaze on me. “Victoria, you’ve changed. There’s a fierceness in your gentleness now. You don’t look like someone people can mess with anymore.”

I slouched back in my chair, grinning at him. “Really? I don’t feel any different. If anything, you’re the one who’s changed.”

Jared chuckled. “Maybe so. We’ve both grown. Honestly, it makes me happy to meet this younger version of you again.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Then maybe I’m going in the opposite direction.”

Jared caught on that I was teasing him. He ground his teeth playfully, then smiled. “Oh yeah? Maybe you haven’t noticed, but these days, every morning before work, I actually think about what to wear–just to see if I can get your attention.”

I was surprised, and as I thought back, it hit me—ever since his second chance at life, Jared had started caring about the little details in his style. No wonder all the single women at the office were even more obsessed with him these days, because he was putting real effort into his looks.

“Honestly, I hadn’t even noticed,” I chuckled, amused.

Jared looked deflated, his face falling. “Guess your mind’s not on me anymore. Feels like all this is for nothing now.”