Chapter 284: Are You Planning to Be My Sugar Mommy
"Let me see what's up." Jerry was checking his phone while explaining, "I was in a meeting, and Steven had my phone. He saw it was you calling and brought it over. Chill, everything's gonna be fine."
Even with his reassurance, I was still on edge. "Is this aimed at you? Was it Carlos?"
"You're half right." Jerry took a sip of water, his voice sounding clearer. "But Carlos ain't that dumb. He only does stuff that screws others over without screwing himself too."
Jerry's logic made sense.
Before he came back to Hammer Group, the chip was already out there, and Carlos was running the show. So, this mess was on Carlos.
If Carlos spilled the beans now, it would definitely mess with Jerry, but it would also block Carlos from getting back into Hammer Group.
But if it wasn't him, I frowned. "Then who did it?"
"Don't rush, we'll figure it out. They'll trip eventually." Jerry then seemed to remember something. "I might be a bit late to the party tonight."
I remembered he still didn't know Madison was my real mom. Not just because I promised Sophia, but also 'cause he didn't come back last night.
Now wasn't the time to distract him, so I nodded. "It's cool, focus on Hammer Group stuff. If you can't make it, no biggie. Oh, and if you need cash, I can help."
Jerry chuckled low and lazy, "You wanna help Hammer Group with their money problems? No way. Your money's for keeping me."
Jerry had a way of making mooching off a woman sound so legit.
At that moment, I felt oddly reassured. If he could joke, it meant things weren't totally out of hand. "Alright, Jerry, I've saved up a lot, all for keeping you."
Jerry joked, "Hope, you planning to be my sugar mommy?"
Over at Valence Group in Jacquar, Christopher finished the shareholders' meeting and walked out of the conference room looking pissed.
Donald caught up with him, checked the time, and reminded, "Mr. Valence, it's about time to head to Maple Valley."
The party started at six, and it was already getting late.
"Okay." Christopher went back to his office, changed into a dark suit, grabbed his coat, and headed to the elevator.
Donald, always good at reading the room, fell a step behind and sensed an even colder vibe than usual. He couldn't help but say, "This time, Valence Group got dragged into the Hammer Group's mess. As long as we cut ties in time, we won't be affected. You didn't need to argue so much with those shareholders."
Because of a recent deal with Apex Technologies, and since both Apex and Hammer Group were under Jerry's control, the chip scandal hit both Apex and Valence Group.
Valence Group's electronics were also under scrutiny for potential infringement issues.
As a result, the stock took a hit, affecting the shareholders, and Christopher had to explain.
Those shareholders were sharp and had been under Christopher's thumb for years. They wouldn't miss this rare chance to push back.
Christopher glanced at him and snapped, "Stop talking crap."
"Are you not willing to give up?" Donald muttered, his voice low. Christopher, walking ahead, stiffened for a moment before going back to his usual cold self. Without hesitation, he strode into the elevator.
The elevator went straight to the first floor, and as Christopher walked out, he bumped into an employee carrying several bags of coffee.
Christopher stepped back, looking pissed. When the other person looked up, a flash of surprise crossed her face!
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Jennifer apologized repeatedly. When she saw Christopher's face, she lowered her head even more guiltily. "Sorry, Mr. Valence, I..."
Christopher's gaze fell on her name tag, and he narrowed his eyes. "You got hired?"
"Yes."
Christopher said mockingly, "Why does the Deputy Director of the Design Department need to buy coffee for others?"
When Hope was in this position, everyone under her command followed her lead. She wouldn't let herself get pushed around like this.
The words weren't particularly harsh, but Christopher's vibe was so intense that Jennifer could barely breathe. She took a light breath, trying to calm herself down. "I'm new here. It's normal they don't respect me yet. These coffees are just a way to build relationships."
"Is that so?" Christopher paused, ready to mock her, but as he noticed her slightly trembling eyelashes and those bright, beautiful eyes, he hesitated. "Come with me."
"What?" Jennifer didn't react in time and saw Christopher's tall figure already striding away.
She looked uncertainly at Donald, who was still waiting. "Mr. Valence..."
"You heard him. Go ahead," Donald said, glancing in the direction Christopher had left, feeling a bit wistful. Making amends for Hope was one thing, but now he was making amends to someone who resembled Hope. He just didn't know if this was a blessing or a curse for Jennifer.
Jennifer looked at the coffees in her hands, feeling a bit troubled, but Donald waved to the receptionist. "Take these to the Design Department and say they are from Ms. Grayson."
Once in the car, Jennifer didn't dare to breathe too loudly, struggling to calm her breathing.
Christopher didn't even glance at her, only instructing Donald, "Head to Moon Lake Bay."
"Yes." Donald was a bit puzzled but didn't show it.
Christopher had been staying at Moon Lake Bay recently, but why go back now? He had just changed clothes before coming downstairs.
The atmosphere in the car was tense all the way until they arrived at Moon Lake Bay and the car slowly came to a stop.
Christopher got out first, leading Jennifer upstairs. In front of a room, he said, "Wait here."
Then he went in alone and quickly came out with a brand-new pure white dress. It was a halter-neck style with a well-designed waist, simple yet elegant and exquisite, clearly very expensive.
Jennifer didn't dare to take it immediately. "Mr. Valence, what do you need me to do?"
Christopher ordered, "Put this on and go to a dinner party with me."
"What kind of dinner party..." Jennifer started to ask but stopped under Christopher's blue-eyed gaze. She took the dress. "Okay."
She was about to go into the room to change, but Christopher stopped her, his eyes cold as ice. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to change."
Christopher said in a deep voice, "Go downstairs and let Donna take you to change!"
It was as if the room behind him was some kind of forbidden area.
Jennifer nodded and went downstairs. Donna had already heard the commotion and came over to take her to a guest room. "Change here."
Jennifer replied, "Okay."
Even the guest room was big, far beyond Jennifer's expectations. There were no signs of anyone living there, but it was well-decorated. A delicate diffuser on the nightstand emitted a faint floral and woody scent, which smelled expensive and indicated that the person who chose it had good taste.
Thinking of Christopher's intimidating aura, Jennifer didn't dare to delay. She took the dress into the bathroom and quickly changed. After adjusting the hem, she touched up her makeup and put her hair up. Looking at the person in the mirror wearing the expensive dress, she was lost in thought.
"Ms. Grayson, are you ready to go?" Donald's voice came from outside the door.
Jennifer snapped back to reality. "Yes, I'm coming out."
She hurriedly gathered her belongings and, before leaving, put her clothes back in the room and left in a rush.
Christopher was already in the car, eyes closed as if resting. Upon hearing the noise, he opened his eyes and glanced in her direction. His gaze deepened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and a fleeting emotion crossed his face before he reverted to his usual composure.
Jennifer vaguely sensed something different about him. Although she wasn't sure if he was angry, her heart still tightened. Seeing him close his eyes again, she silently breathed a sigh of relief and quietly took out her phone to pass the time. In the short time she had changed clothes, the director had sent her several messages.
[I heard you left with Mr. Valence?]
[Mr. Valence hasn't been close to any woman since his divorce. How did you manage that?]
[Jennifer, we're all colleagues. I trust you know what is appropriate to discuss with Mr. Valence and what is not.]
[If anyone in the department gives you a hard time, just come to me.]
Jennifer looked at the messages, feeling only sarcasm. If it weren't for the director's orders, who would dare to give a deputy director a hard time? Now he was pretending to be nice.
She clenched her hands and replied ambiguously: [Please keep this confidential. I don't want Mr. Valence to be unhappy if word gets out.]
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