The room suddenly fell silent, and a palpable tension filled the air after Jasmine delivered the news. Their eyes widened with surprise by the unexpected development. Despite the urgency of the matter, Zane remained composed, exuding an air of calmness that seemed almost unshakeable. He sat quietly, absorbing the information without a hint of visible concern. His mind raced, not to dwell on Paul's reasons, but to devise an alternative solution quickly.Jasmine, her face showing a trace of panic, broke the silence. "Mr. Gardner, Mr. Moore made this decision unilaterally. He has also agreed to pay the penalty as per the agreement." Her voice wavered slightly, revealing her underlying anxiety. She continued, her tone a mix of urgency and hope, "I can arrange a mediation meeting with him if you are willing, Sir."Zane, maintaining his steady demeanor, responded calmly, "Jasmine, let it be. Instead of negotiating with him, how about we seek out other investors? What do you think?" H
Whitmore remained alone in the room, feeling a deep-seated anger boiling inside her. She clenched her fists tightly, muttering under her breath as she cursed Zane, "Zane Gardner, this time your arrogance has gone too far. Do you really think you can get away with this?"With emotions running high, she stormed out of the room, determined to confront Zane directly. Meanwhile, Cecilia had already returned to her office to resume her work. On the other hand, Zane was still deep in discussion with Jasmine, going over potential investors they were planning to meet.As they were engrossed in their conversation, the door to Zane’s office suddenly swung open. Both Zane and Jasmine looked up to see who had barged in so abruptly. Standing there with a face full of fury was Whitmore, her eyes blazing with anger.The sight of Whitmore in such a rage made Jasmine quickly decide to excuse herself and leave the room. She couldn't imagine what was about to unfold between Whitmore and Zane, but s
While Zane was engrossed in his work at the office, tackling his tasks with relentless focus over the past few days, Claire decided to visit him at his office. The sound of a gentle knock on his office door echoed through the room. Zane looked up from his desk, and invited the visitor to come in.Standing in the doorway was Jasmine, his diligent assistant, her presence familiar yet always professional. “Yes, Jasmine?” Zane inquired, his tone polite but curious.Jasmine, with her usual calm demeanor, responded, “Sir, there’s a visitor here for you.”Zane tilted his head slightly, a gesture of mild curiosity. “Oh? And who might that be?”From behind Jasmine, a woman stepped forward. She had neatly arranged blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, framing her face elegantly. She was dressed in a sleek, executive-style outfit, consisting of a knee-length silver pencil skirt paired with a soft pink blouse that complemented her refined appearance.“Hi, Zane,” the woman greeted wit
Zane and Claire were still together. At that moment, Jasmine intended to enter Zane's office to report on her work. As she was about to open the door a little, she saw them. She was shocked and quickly closed the door quietly so as not to make any noise. Not wanting to disturb their moment, she turned around and found Cecilia had just arrived behind her. Jasmine immediately pulled Cecilia away from the room, "Shhh…" she whispered to Cecilia. Cecilia, surprised, followed Jasmine's lead and asked, "Jasmine, what's going on?" "Ms. Claire is in there," Jasmine stammered, feeling both nervous and excited about what she had seen. "And?" Cecilia was still curious, wanting to understand the situation. Jasmine then leaned in close to Cecilia's ear to whisper, ensuring that no one else in the hallway could overhear, "They're kissing."Cecilia was stunned. She covered her mouth with her right hand, "What? Are you serious? You're not joking?" Jasmine nodded enthusiastically, her eyes spa
Jasmine stood still between Cecilia and Olivia. She felt a bit puzzled knowing that Cecilia recognized Olivia and shifted her position slightly to let Olivia in. The two had met before, so they already knew each other.Olivia walked straight towards Cecilia and gave her a warm hug. Cecilia returned the embrace with a smile on her face.“It's great to see you, Cecil,” Olivia said cheerfully.Taking a moment to observe Cecilia’s appearance, Olivia asked, “So, are you working in this office too?”Cecilia nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, I am.”Just then, Zane walked towards them near the door and noticed Olivia. “Olivia?” he said, surprised.“Hi, Zane,” she greeted him, waving her hand.“How did you end up here? You didn’t tell me you were coming,” Zane questioned, clearly curious.“Oh, well, you didn’t know. From now on, I’ll be the Brand Ambassador for one of the car brands here,” Olivia explained with a smile. “And, wow, I knew you were the General Manager here, but to find out you’re
Zane observed the woman as she slowly and gracefully removed her sunglasses. Her movements were deliberate and elegant, yet there was a firm decisiveness to them. “Laura?” Zane said, his voice tinged with surprise.Laura looked at him with a warm smile that seemed to brighten the room. Her eyes sparkled as she responded, “Hello, Mr. Gardner. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I’m Laura Moore.”The woman before him was indeed Laura Moore—the same person he had encountered during a morning run some time ago while he was trying to catch a pickpocket. Laura was the owner of the charming café he frequented during his jogging sessions. Although she shared the same last name as Paul, Zane knew there was no familial connection between them.He hadn’t anticipated that he would meet her again under such unexpected circumstances, let alone as an investor poised to put money into his company. The mention of her name and her seemingly familiar response caused a ripple of surprise among those
Earlier, Emma had almost fallen victim to a kidnapping scheme orchestrated by Harris. He had planned to abduct her in a desperate attempt to obtain information about her father. Fortunately, Zane and Cedric intervened just in time, thwarting Harris’s plot and keeping Emma safe.Now, as they all sat together in the dimly lit room, the tension was palpable. Claire, sitting close beside Emma, gently wrapped her arm around her Emma’s shoulders. Grateful that Emma was still here.Breaking the silence, Cedric glanced over at Zane with a serious expression. “So, boss,” he began, “do you have any plans for what to do next?”He was asking about the next move Zane intended to make with the evidence they had secured. Zane took a moment to respond, his gaze intense as he weighed the options in his mind. “There are a few things I’m still considering, Cedric,” he finally replied. “But one thing’s for sure—I plan to make the arrest personally, and I’m going to expose everything to the public.”It w
After a few days had passed since that meeting, Zane and Laura found themselves standing on the manicured green of a golf course, just as they had agreed. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the field, while a gentle breeze whispered through the trees. Behind them, Laura's assistant and Cedric stood quietly, observing the scene with careful eyes. In this meeting, it was Laura's first time encountering Cedric as Zane's trusted confidant. To their surprise, it turned out that Laura and Cedric already knew each other—a revelation that was just as new to Zane. Cedric then revealed another unexpected aspect of Laura's background: she was a highly skilled senior spy, a fact that left Zane astonished. Additionally, Laura was not only a master of espionage but also an exceptional fighter. "I never would have guessed that you were Cedric's boss, Zane," Laura said. She stood close to him, watching intently as he lined up his shot. Zane, focused on his ball, pau