Chapter 217 Someone Wants to Pursue His Sister
Nathaniel narrowed hiseyes and said nothing more. He was en route to the finest hotel in Coral Bay, which seemed fitting given that Caleb, the ostentatious young master, was staying there.
The car soon arrived at Platinum Peaks Retreat, a five-star hotel chain owned by the Oscar family. Nathaniel was an A-level VIP member with a designated room and exclusive parking spot.
Zack pulled up the car, glancing past the G-Class parked in front of the hotel's restaurant before making the turn. Nathanielhad instructed not to greet Caleb, so he paid no further attention and parked the car directly.
On the other side, Caleb parked the car and walked over to Aurelia's side, opening the door for her. As they emerged from the car and exchanged a few pleasantries, Joe's vehicle also pulled up.
Joe's deep eyes scanned between Aurelia and Caleb, seeming to understand something.
Sinclair Media had never collaborated with the Semona family in business before. Joe had wondered why Mr. Sinclair would leave Imperick, where he could call the shots, and come all the way to Coral Bay to beg for cooperation, reducing profits to the minimum.
He had even suspected that Caleb was not in it for the money but for the partnership, perhaps with some ulterior motive.
Joe snorted inwardly; this was clearly a contemporary intrigue.
He realized Joe had his eyes on Aurelia.
With this thought in mind, Joe couldn't help but look at Caleb with a bit of disdain.
If he couldn't pass Joe's test, no matter who he was, Joe would agree with their relationship.
The two in front also noticed Joe. Caleb was a socialite, and he chatted with Joe, whom he had only met twice, as if they were old friends. The conversation flowed naturally. Despite Joe's lack of interest in engaging with him, the overall atmosphere remained surprisingly pleasant.
Once in the reserved private room, Joe first settled Aurelia on his side, keeping a distance from Caleb.
This marked the first collaboration between the Semona and Sinclair families, and Caleb had arrived alone for the meeting. Joe had dismissed his assistant, resulting in only three individuals remaining in the expansive room.
Joe had the waiter bring in a few bottles of fine wine he had stored there earlier, intending to entertain this partner properly.
Caleb engaged in a drinking contest with Joe. Before the dishes were served, they had already consumed a fair amount of alcohol.
However, Caleb had just returned from abroad and couldn't match Joe, who was accustomed to attending various social events in the business world. Before long, Caleb was resting his head on the table.
Aurelia nudged Joe with her elbow, asking, "Joe, are you okay?"
Joe glanced at Caleb, who appeared to be asleep on the table, and said with a smile, "Even if there were two more men, they wouldn't be a match for me."
Aurelia blushed slightly and said, "Joe, I've made it clear to him. I don't have any immediate plans for marriage. I prefer being alone..."
She paused and added, "It's fine. Besides, he is from Imperick, and I don't want much involvement with him."
Joe looked at Aurelia with compassion, comforting, "Don't worry, no one will dare to bully you in the future. If anyone dares, I won't let them off. As for that Nathaniel , I'll deal with him sooner or later."
Aurelia lowered her head, feeling a pang in her heart when Joe mentioned Nathaniel.
As they chatted, they completely ignored Caleb, who was slumped over the table.
He had sensed that something was off and quickly pretended to be drunk. In reality, he was a bit intoxicated; if he continued drinking, he might end up being taken advantage of by Joe. Businessmen had to be vigilant when away from home.
He lay still, but his mind was racing. Listening to Aurelia's words, he realized she had no intention of starting a new relationship, let alone having any contact with anyone from Imperick.
Her avoidance behavior indicated the depth of her emotional wounds, which couldn't be healed overnight.
Caleb felt a pang of despair, realizing that his hopes were slim, especially with Joe in the picture. This marriage proposal wasn't something he could just pursue at will.
However, he quickly rallied his spirits. If she didn't want to date, then he would wait until she did. After living for over twenty years and finally meeting a girl who made his heart flutter, he wouldn't give up easily.
Aurelia and Joe chatted for a while, and the waiter brought lemonade.
Joe had a bowl poured for Caleb, urging him, "Mr. Sinclair, have some lemonade before heading back to the hotel to sleep. Don't catch a cold."
Caleb rubbed his head, pretending to have just woken up, and drank the lemonade.
Joe then asked politely, "Mr. Sinclair, where are you staying? Do you need a ride?"
Caleb's hotel was right next door to the restaurant, and although it was close, he almost wanted to ask this cunning Joe for a ride, just to see his insincerity.
"No need to trouble you, I'm staying next door," Caleb replied.
Joe handed his wallet to his assistant to settle the bill. "In that case, I won't escort Mr. Sinclair. I'll take Anne home first. I apologize for the inadequate hospitality this time. If there's a chance, next time I'll bring out the few bottles of Romanée-Conti I have at home, and we can have a proper drink."
Caleb inwardly sneered at Joe's deep cunning. The way he had tried to force-feed him at the dinner table indicated that he would have sent him to the hospital if he had drunk too much.
He cursed in his mind a hundred times, but his face maintained a fake smile. "Mr. Semona, thank you. Next time, it's my treat. If you come to Imperick, be sure to let me know."
With that one sentence, he set the stage for a future showdown.
The probing and subtle hostility between men made Aurelia uncomfortable.
The three of them got up to leave, and Caleb stumbled accidentally, nearly falling.
He steadied himself against the wall, a hint of cunning in his eyes. "Sorry, Mr. Semona, I might actually need you to walk me."
As he spoke, his feet suddenly gave way, causing him to almost collapse onto the floor. With an embarrassed smile, he chuckled and confessed, "You see, I can't seem to walk in a straight line."
Since Joe had asked for help, he might as well accept it. He wasn't one to stand on ceremony.
Joe raised an eyebrow, suppressing his temper. "Let's go then. Where are you staying?"
"Platinum Peaks Retreat, Room 9201. Thank you for your help."
Caleb raised an arm towards Aurelia, indicating that he needed support.
Joe immediately pulled Aurelia aside, propped up the annoying arm, and the two guided Joe to the adjacent Platinum Peaks Retreat.
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