Royal Blood in Exile by Mark Twain 5
Chapter 5
The people who had just been chatting excitedly now looked at each other in confusion. Owen froze as well.
Before anyone could react, Lila scoffed dismissively. “What kind of joke is this? Our company hasn’t even gone public yet. What financial problems could there possibly be They must have made a mistake.”
Owen seemed reassured by this, as if she’d thrown him a lifeline. He let out a breath of relief, frowned at Sheila, and said, “Look into things properly before bringing them up. Don’t spread unverified information and cause panic.”
“That’s not what I-”
The finance manager tried to explain, but Owen waved her off. “That’s enough. Go back to your desk.”
Lila chimed in, “Discuss things clearly with the other party first. Don’t just jump to conclusions based on rumors. If this happens again, we’ll dock your pay.”
Sheila’s eyes nearly turned red with frustration. Seeing this I couldn’t help but speak up. “You should at least let her finish.”
At my words, Lila’s eyes filled with disdain. She smiled at me. “Charlotte, I didn’t expect you to still care so much about company matters when you’re about to leave.”
Owen seemed to remember I was still there. His briefly softened expression instantly turned cold again.
He glanced at me and said icily, “Why are you still here? Didn’t you resign? Just leave already.”
“Owen, don’t say that. Maybe Charlotte regrets it. Give her another chance.”
Owen’s expression remained arrogant. “This is a company, hot a playground. You think just admitting you’re wrong fixes everything? What if other people start copying her? The company would fall into chaos. How am I supposed to manage anyone then?”
Lila suggested, “Why don’t we have Charlotte work in security for a while? After some time, we can transfer her back. It would teach her some humility.”
Listening to the two of them go back and forth, I found it almost amusing.
My earlier warning was only out of consideration for all the years Owen and I had been together. I didn’t want to see him completely humiliated and wanted to give him a chance to prepare. Since he wouldn’t listen, I had nothing more to say.
I turned to leave. Just then, a commotion broke out in the office.
A crowd gathered around a well-dressed middle-aged man in an expensive suit as he walked in.
I recognized him. This was the investor who had spoken highly of me before. He was the executive assistant to the CEO of Cloudview Construction Group, Albert Hunt.
Owen didn’t recognize him but still politely approached, wanting to inquire about the situation. Before Owen could speak, Albert walked straight toward me and eagerly hook my hand.
“Ms. Shaw, even though we spoke on the phone, I still wanted to come see you in person. Consider it a gesture of sincerity from Cloudview Construction Group.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t reach a partnership last time, but your company truly opened our eyes. It’s a shame to see someone as talented as you here. Otherwise, we’d already be partners by now.”
These words made both Owen’s and Lila’s faces change dra hatically. Wasn’t he basically saying that aside from
Chopters
E
me, this company had no capable people?
I smiled and shook Albert’s hand. “I’m sorry you had to come all the way here. I should have come to your personally.”
He smiled back.
“No need to apologize. Once we learned you weren’t planning to stay here, our CEO withdrew his investment. It was a bit sudden, but we sincerely urge you to start your own company. That way, our future cooperation would give Cloudview Construction Group much more confidence
Owen seemed to realize something. He immediately grabbed my hand. “Charlotte, you can’t leave!”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve already resigned.” My tone was calm. “It’s final.”
I pulled out the resignation form I’d just received and showed it to him. It still bore his freshly signed signature.
Normally the resignation process took three days, but he’d been so angry earlier that he’d had HR print it out and signed it right away. That actually saved me a lot of trouble.
Owen was speechless, his face turning pale with anger..
Lila, however, spoke up self-righteously. “Charlotte, you’re in the wrong here. You want to leave the company now?
“You’ve been with the company for so long. The company gave you so many benefits and opportunities. Now you’re just going to go off and start your own business?”
She didn’t notice that with every word she spoke, Owen’s face grew paler. Lila only knew about my relationship with Owen and that Owen was the CEO. But she didn’t know that in terms of contributions to the company, I’d given far more than Owen had.
Glory and praise had blinded him. Perhaps only now was he starting to remember.
When he spoke again, his voice was choked with emotion. Charlotte…”
“There’s nothing more to say, Owen. Let’s break up.”
I’d originally planned to bring up the breakup when we got home, but thinking about it now, there was no need to wait.
As soon as I said it, surprised gasps erupted around us. Everyone looked between Lila and Owen.
“What does Charlotte mean by that? Were she and Mr. Hayes a couple? They’re breaking up?”
“Aren’t Ms. Reed and Mr. Hayes the couple?”
There it was. Owen claimed he wanted to keep our relationship private, but everyone at the company thought he and Lila were together.
Even though Owen and I were close, people only thought I was looking out for myself. No one ever considered that I was actually Owen’s fiancee.
Owen should understand perfectly well why everyone assured they were together. But I knew he’d probably still defend Lila and help explain things for her.
Once before, someone at the company had questioned Lila’ abilities. When word reached Owen’s ears, he fired that person without hesitation. It was after that incident that everyone started thinking Owen and Lila’s relationship was special.
I didn’t stay any longer. News of the breakup had been delivered. Whatever happened next had nothing to do with
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.
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