Willow's assistant, who had been standing behind her mere moments ago, was now gone. Luckily, Willow managed to stabilize herself by holding onto the wall.Her mind was a mess from the pressing questions the reporters shoved at her.Sonia had deliberately orchestrated this entire matter from start to finish. She had used those photos and twisted the truth with false statements. The photos were genuine, but the truth drastically differed from what was reported. It was pointless for Willow to try and tell the truth."You're the project manager for the Oldtown development project, aren't you? You're the one in the photos?""You're the person who threatened the old lady to relocate, didn't you?""Was this an individual decision on your end, or did your superiors instruct you?""Is this Strand Real Estate's internal decision, or was Bassett Corporation involved?"The questions fired at Willow like rockets, not even giving her a chance to answer. She felt suffocated amidst the flurry
Sonia's face flushed a myriad of shades. "Who says I'm leaving? I was going to go take something.""You should let your assistant do that. It's best to sit down and watch the livestream with everyone else, Ms. Sutton." Willow then turned to the reporters. "Please take a seat, everybody."The reporters dissipated, returning to their seats. Theodore marched over and sat facing Willow on the first row in front of the stage. His calm, distant gaze made her feel secure.Willow looked at Theodore, thinking about how this distant and proud man always seemed to show up to support her when she had none. Her eyes suddenly stung with tears.The livestream was still going on. Phoenix News was Emperia's most trustworthy media source. All the news they reported were results from thorough investigation and research. It was never subjective; rather, they had an objective standard for their news.One could say that Phoenix News was the media world's flagship."What instructions were you given
The scene was chaotic.Someone spotted Quentin backstage and said, "Strand Real Estate's CEO is right over there. He must know what's going on."The reporters swarmed Quentin in the blink of an eye. "Sonia Sutton is your girlfriend, isn't she? Did you permit her actions?""Please answer our questions, Mr. Strand.""Apologies, but I'm not taking any questions right now," Quentin answered.The security team arrived just in time to escort him away. Willow was the only one left behind to take care of the company's mess."Strand Real Estate will update all of you on this matter. As for whether this was Sonia's own actions or …"Before Willow could finish speaking, her microphone was taken away. A strong, clear voice said from beside her, "Bassett Corporation will hereby terminate the joint venture with Strand Real Estate."The reporters were shocked to silence.Willow stared at Theodore in shock as well.Terminate the joint venture? The project had just started. There was nothin
Theodore said, "This project was originally part of the government's subsidy program. They have the right to revoke it now that Strand Real Estate has been involved in such a scandal. It will take some time for the application process to go through. You can take your time.""But can I really do this on my own? A new company might not gain trust right away.""You don't need to worry about that. Just gather your own team first. Got it?"Willow suddenly felt empowered. "Got it."…Strand Real Estate's office building was still lit up late at night. A heavy document folder was thrown onto the desk, its edges snapping with the force of the throw."Can none of you come up with a single solution? What the hell do I pay you for?" Quentin growled, his fists clenched by his sides."Mr. Strand, since this is Sonia's own action, then we can only fire her.""Who will lead the project if we fire Sonia?""Isn't Ms. Jett the project manager?""Ms. Jett this, Ms. Jett that. Is Ms. Jett all
"Ms. Jett, our building management is the best in Emperia. There's staff available 24/7 to fix any problems you may have. The security detail is excellent, too."The agent opened up all the floor-to-ceiling windows of the building, letting the noon sunlight stream in.Though there was still a lot of spare junk around to clean up, it still couldn't hide how perfect an office space this place would make. There was even a supermarket downstairs. This was truly the perfect spot."Look here, Ms. Jett. If you look out from here, there's the Domestic Trade Center to the east and the National Convention Center to the west. It's a really strategic place.""It really is," Willow agreed.She stood before the window, picturing how cozy the office would be once she started her new company.But the reality was she still really needed to consider her options.Willow stopped daydreaming and said, "Is it possible to lower the rent more? It's too high for me.""I'm sure you've scouted many other
Right when Willow was fuming, her phone rang."What did I just say? Don't contact him! There's no point calling me. Do you really want me to cut you off?" she yelled.The speaker on the other end was silent for some time before a woman's voice responded, "Ms. Jett?"Willow was stunned for a moment. She only recovered her senses when she saw that the caller was an unknown number. "I'm so sorry. Who is this?""Hello, I'm Ellie Moore, Theodore's stepmother."Willow's grip around her phone tightened instinctively. "Can I help you with something?""Are you free right now, Ms. Jett? Why don't we have a chat in person?"…Willow gazed at the middle-aged woman sitting across the table in the café. She asked respectfully, "May I know what you called me here for?"It was clear the woman had a really good skincare routine. Her makeup was elegant yet delicate, and she was dressed in a refined manner. She wore no jewelry save for two ruby ear studs. Her demeanor was elegant but deliberate.
"What are you smiling at?" Ellie's brows furrowed when she saw the smile on Willow's face.Willow composed herself. "I'm curious. What right do you think you have to pay me off? Are you Theodore's mother? His mother is still overseas, as far as I recall."Ellie's expression froze.Willow continued, "Does he know you're meeting me today?""Sara Bowman is the one who told me to come here. Do you know who Sara Bowman is? She's Theodore's grandmother, matriarch of the Bassett family.""How does that have anything to do with me?" Willow's expression didn't change at all. "Firstly, I'm afraid you don't have the right to try and pay me to leave. Can you even pay me if I ask for a high amount? Did Madam Sara give you that authority?""You!""Secondly, thank you for the reminder. I've decided to rent the office building near the ITC.""What?" Ellie stiffened instantly.Willow didn't give her even a second to speak. She pulled out her phone and made the call to the property agent. "I've
Theodore wasn't irritated at all.Beside them, Clark was surprised at this. He returned to his senses when Theodore shot him a look. He then left the room silently."Have some tea, Mrs. Jett." Theodore poured a cup for Helen. "The weather hasn't been the best these past few days. What brings you here?""I brought you something to eat." Helen excitedly laid out the container of food she'd prepared. "I specially made these braised ribs for you, Theodore. There's also some chicken noodle soup. They're both really good for your health. You should eat healthier with how hard you work. You're too skinny."Theodore smiled faintly. "Thank you for taking the trouble to come all the way here. It must've been a long trip.""No trouble at all. Willow really is a dense woman. You've helped her so much, yet she's always so distant and ungrateful. As her mother, of course I'd be concerned. She's a stubborn woman, so don't mind her.""She's a good person," Theodore responded."You think she is?