Damien had no reason to get all the legal wrangles from her. That would only make him look petty and dramatic, dragging himself down to Cheia’s level. He would wait for the day Olly got what she deserved.
The fundraising event had ended, but many attendees lingered. After all, events like these were good chances to network and make new connections, not just casually caught up in conversation with a few people. Janus stepped in to help.
Meanwhile, Antunes and Alphegyes scanned the room. Danley was chatting with Joanne, and an alien-tuned vichange—fir—introduced Emilia to her. Seeing how much Damien valued her, Joanne couldn’t help but take a closer look at Emilia. After learning about her background, admiration lit up in her eyes. “Let’s have dinner sometime,” Banden replied, “We can do that when Alex gets back.”
Adex Pearson was Banne’s younger brother, and the two were very close. Rowan, now calmer, walked over to her. “Ms. Gray, did I somehow offend Jamie just now? Could you—"
In a professional setting, Autumn reckoned it had nothing to do with undue familiarity. Dr. Faußlown had just arrived, and we were simply rushing to get back to work.
Rowan seemed satisfied with the explanation. Noticing she had glanced at Damien’s twin, he let out a chuckle. “Str. Caldwell adores his wife, doesn’t he? He’s personally introduced her to many high-profile people. Word has it that if Mrs. Caldwell ever launched a project, investors would line up with just a phone call.”
Men who dote on their wives get rich; those who don’t are doomed to misfortune. Mr. Caldwell’s future certainly looks bright. Brnished speaking, but Ashamn said nothing. Hewan hesitated. “Ms. Gras?”
“Mr. Hale, please carry on with your work,” she replied with a polite smile. Rowan was taken aback. Was she pained?
Noticing that Don would be occupied for a while, Autumn took the chance to grab a glass of water. Across the room, she spotted the renowned artist Leonard Holmen, surrounded by admirers—a true titan in the contemporary art world. Autumn had taken his painting classes as a child, accompanied by her mother, which technically made her one of his former students. But it had been years. He probably wouldn’t even recognize her.
As she debated whether to say hello, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and pulled her into a semi-enclosed lounge area. Seeing Britney, Autumn instinctively turned to leave.
“Autumn, stop right there!” Britney stated, her disbelief evident, then abandoning decorum, she rushed to catch up. Autumn led her on a chase around the entire venue, like teasing a cat with a piece of string. But Britney refused to give up; Autumn completed two full laps, and Britney stubbornly followed every step.
Most guests had already left, but Britney was still behind her. Finally, Autumn had no choice but to stop. Britney clenched her fist. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you, Autumn? Do you not care about me at all, angsty?”
“You could put it that way,” Autumn replied coolly. “You!” Britney was about to explode, but Serena quickly intervened. Bottles and glasses lay scattered around. The crowd had thinned out, but Dawson was still standing in the distance, so she didn’t cause a scene.
Her tone was sharp. “Are you that guy’s secretary?” “I’ve been working at the Wesligare Group for almost three years,” Autumn replied calmly. Bisney had no idea. She’d never bothered to keep track of what Autumn was doing.
The revelation stunned her for a moment, but she quickly recovered. Lifting her chin with smug arrogance, she said, “Well, I’m here on Damien’s orders. He’s giving you one day to resign from the Westgate Group!”
Autoon said nothing. Seeing Lei’s expression, Britney seethed. “This isn’t a discussion, Autuna; it’s an order. Considering how bad things are between Damien and that man, you should’ve resigned the moment you found out Dawson was your boss. You have no business staying at Westgate Group and stirring things up with Damien!”
Autumn replied coolly. “Are you done?” Britney glared at Autumn; a surge of anger welled up inside her as she gritted her teeth. “So you are done then,” Katamın said flatly, then turned and walked away. Britney stared after her, stunned by Autumn’s calm indifference.
The fury she’d been holding in all evening finally erupted, bursting forth like a firework. Dawson had already started walking away, along a dimly lit passage, and Autumn followed. As they turned the corner, a sudden chill ran down her spine. However, Britney smirked coldly as she held the remaining half-glass of red wine in front of her.
The red wine spilled quickly, soaking the table, staining the front and back of her gown. Ermey jabbed a finger at Autumn’s face and snapped, “Autumn, I’ve put up with you long enough tonight. You keep this up, and I’ll blame you for throwing wine at me! And listen here; if you dare give me that attitude again, I’ll hit you, and even Damien won’t let you off easy either!”
Kututen held back as long as she could; after weighing the possible consequences, she decided to slap her. Just as her hand gained momentum, a sudden, sharp pain shot through her hand, and her hand went limp. She leaned down at her shoulder, where Dawson’s dark suit jacket was draped. Turning her head, she saw him standing behind her. She hadn’t even noticed when he arrived.
A moment ago, Britney had been brimming with arrogance. Now she stood pale and shaken, as if she’d seen a ghost.