Chapter 38
Shirley said, “That’s why I applied to be Jonathan’s secretary. World of Elegance is part of the Bennett family’s empire, and Jonathan is the sole heir to Bennett Group. If he agrees, Velorix could be the first domestic brand to enter World of Elegance. You understand the significance of that, Dad.”
Justin shook his head. “Shirley, it’s not as easy as you think.”
Bennett Group also had its own clothing brand, one much larger than the Jones family’s. However, Bennett Group hadn’t even placed its own brand in this mall, let alone a brand from another city.
But Shirley was full of confidence. “Dad, how will we know if we don’t try? Give me three months. In three months, I’ll nail Jonathan.”
Seeing Justin’s weird expression, she quickly added, “I mean, I’ll definitely get Jonathan to let Velorix into World of Elegance.”
Cynthia sat quietly, listening without saying a word.
Shirley was far too naive. Not only did World of Elegance have strict criteria for brand partnerships, it would never tarnish its “top luxury” reputation by making an exception for any brand.
Moreover, Cynthia seemed to recall Jonathan mentioning that World of Elegance wasn’t under his control–it was managed by his sister, Viola, with whom he had a poor relationship.
The worst part was that Shirley was lying. She hadn’t been hired as Jonathan’s secretary, but merely as a secretary assistant- a position that rarely, if ever, had direct contact with Jonathan.
After dinner, Justin turned to Cynthia. “Why don’t you stay the night? Your room has been empty for a long time.”
Cynthia glanced at Selena, who remained indifferent, not sparing her a single glance. Cynthia felt a pang of disappointment, though she didn’t know why she still hoped for Selena’s love after almost killing herself last time.
Just as she was about to decline, her phone rang. It was Kevin Shaw, Filip’s childhood friend, calling. “Cynthia, Filip’s drunk. Can you come pick him up?”
Using it as an excuse, Cynthia said, “Filip’s drunk. I need to pick him up, so I won’t be staying tonight.”
Justin, relieved, assumed his earlier advice had gotten through to her. “Alright, go ahead then.”
Cynthia went to Room 1008 at Opulence Club and pushed the door open. She was met with the sound of loud music and chatter. Inside, people were drinking and singing, clearly in the middle of a wild night.
Most of the faces in the room were familiar to her–they were Filip’s childhood friends. And, as Filip’s childhood friends,
many
of them were also hers. In fact, she was closer to some of them than Filip was.
As soon as everyone saw her walk in, the room fell into a sudden silence. Kevin quickly walked over. “Cynthia, good to see you.”
These people were all a year or two older than Cynthia, but they respected her a lot. When they were younger, Cynthia had been fierce and tough, never losing a fight against the boys.
“Since Filip’s back, I organized a party for everyone. But it seems he’s not in the best mood today and drank a lot,” Kevin explained.
Cynthia glanced at Filip, who was slumped on the sofa. “You should have called Lilian. Why did you call me?”
Everyone in the room knew the story between the three of them. Kevin joked to lighten the mood “Lilian? Who’s that? I
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don’t know her. You and Filip were a pair since you were kids, and now you’re his rightful wife. Who else would I call but you?”
Cynthia didn’t bother bantering with him and gave Filip another look. “Can he walk?”
Kevin gestured for two guys to help Filip up and follow Cynthia outside. As they reached the lobby of the Opulence Club, Filip suddenly woke up. He shook off the two people supporting him. “Let me go. I’m not drunk. I can still drink.”
Cynthia stepped in front of Filip. “Can you walk? If you can, then walk yourself. I’ll take you home.”
Filip stared at Cynthia through his hazy eyes for a moment. Suddenly, he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. His voice was choked with emotion. “Cyn, I’ve missed you so much!”
Cynthia froze, standing rigidly, her back stiffening. It wasn’t just the suddenness of the hug–it was the nickname Cyn, a name Filip had called her since childhood. But she hadn’t heard it in years.
A strange wave of sadness washed over her. Filip held onto Cynthia tightly, and like a child, he started sobbing. His shoulders shook slightly. “Cyn, why did you leave me? Why?”
For a moment, Cynthia stood dazed, but then she snapped out of it, thinking, ‘Filip is truly drunk, saying all kinds of
nonsense now,‘
Cynthia patted his back. “Filip, look closely. I’m Cynthia, not Lilian.”
“Cyn, you can’t leave me. Everyone else can reject me, but not you. You can’t look down on me. I’ve become who I am today because of you. All because of you. How can you be so heartless? he cried.
Cynthia was completely confused by what he was saying. But her intuition told her there was something important hidden in his words. Maybe this was her chance to uncover how Lilian had driven a wedge between them.
Adopting a soothing tone, she coaxed him, “Alright, I won’t leave you. Just tell me, what happened? Why are you saying this?” Meanwhile, Jonathan stepped out of the elevator with his friends and stopped in his tracks.
Since Jonathan, who was leading, didn’t move, the others naturally followed suit. Everyone’s gaze followed Jonathan’s, landing on a couple embracing in the lobby of the Opulence Club.
Tommy joked, “The Opulence Club has really gotten out of hand lately. Why is the waitress hugging the customer in plain view?”
Bruce chimed in, “I don’t think that girl is a waitress from the Opulence Club. They look like a couple in the middle of a spat, using the alcohol to pour their hearts out.”
“That girl’s in trouble,” someone else said. “A guy that drunk could be really dramatic.”
While everyone laughed, Tommy suddenly noticed something was off. “Wait… isn’t that Jonathan’s girlfriend?”
As soon as he said it, the group seemed to recall something. “Yeah, that’s Ms. Jones.”
They remembered that just a few days ago, at Tommy’s birthday party, Jonathan had introduced a woman to everyone, saying she was his girlfriend. It had caused Celine to burst into tears. But now, Jonathan’s so–called girlfriend was cuddling with another guy right in front of them.
No one really believed that Jonathan and Cynthia were a couple. They all suspected that Jonathan was using her to push Celine away. But Cynthia was still the only girlfriend Jonathan had ever introduced to his friends. What she was doing now felt like a slap in Jonathan’s face.
All eyes turned to Jonathan. As everyone expected, his face had darkened to an ominous shade.
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Yates Construction.
Tommy, with his sharpeyes, noticed something else. “The guy she’s hugging seems to be Mr. Yates No wonder she went toe–to–toe with Mrs. Yates at the golf course the other day. Turns out she really is Mr. Yates‘ lover.
Everyone was shocked. “So Ms. Jones has been playing both sides–hooking up with Mr. Yates while still stringing Jonathan
along?”
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