Chapter 516 Not Cutting Her Any Slack
Winnie's lips tightened and her face flushed as she instinctively shook her head. Sidney's frustrated expression and intense eyes were reminiscent of Lawrence's menacing glare.
Despite the tension, the man maintained his humor, letting out a wry chuckle. "Come on, I'm talking about that new piece of property I bought. Have you made up your mind about relocating Triton Company there?"
Winnie released the breath she had been holding in anticipation. Before she could respond, Rock furrowed his brow and said, "I assume Lawrence might comply and present you with that golf course land. First, he puts you through the wringer and then offers it as a charitable gesture. Do you truly desire his handouts? I hope this time you'll align with me, Winnie. After all, I'd never let you down."
Rock was fueling her frustration. Undoubtedly, Winnie had her reservations. The Blanchet family empire, now under the control of Patrick and Eleanor, proved challenging for her to reclaim for her father. The only solution was to swiftly establish Triton in Trento City and secure a foothold.
With her newfound resolve, Winnie was confident that Eleanor's attempts to target her would not be so simple. Now, she wanted nothing to do with Lawrence.
Winnie made her decision. "All right Rock, let’s go check out that unfinished building as soon as possible."
Rock's eyes brightened and he smiled, gesturing toward her with an open hand. "You’re thinking of moving your company closer to me, Winnie and that’s fabulous. The Harrington Group will always support Triton, just like I will always have your back."
Desperation overtook Sidney's gaze as all hope dwindled. It appeared his mother was favoring Rock over his father. He dreaded the thought of his mom and Rock becoming inseparable. Quickly, Sidney sent a text to his dad. "Dad, Mom's practically setting up the jewelry shop with Rock. Looks like luck isn't on your side. You brought this upon yourself."
Lawrence had just received his son’s message on Facebook when Ishara, looking effortlessly elegant, knocked softly and stepped into his office with a package in hand.
"Lawrence, I've heard you've been overwhelmed with work lately so I brought you lunch," she said, positioning herself close to his desk, a halo of the Blanchet family heirloom adding a new dimension to her presence. Perhaps these qualities had always been there, just hidden beneath her naturally reserved demeanor.
With thin lips curling into a fleeting sneer, Lawrence regarded her as one might view the deep, still waters of a cold abyss before the moment passed. He didn't acknowledge her presence, merely furrowed his brows as he scrolled through Sidney's Facebook messages on his phone.
Claire cleared her throat softly to break the awkward silence. "Lawrence, she's been cooking since morning to share lunch with you. She hasn't eaten anything because she is worried about your stomach, you know?"
"It's not that serious," Ishara said with a slight resentful glance at Claire.
Lawrence scoffed. "Not my problem. When did it become unusual for an adult to fend for themselves and get a meal?"
Ishara's gentle expression tightened suddenly. Claire was taken aback by the unexpected sharpness in Lawrence's words towards Ishara. His hostility left both women stunned.
Luke stepped aside and another senior executive remained in the office. The shadows beneath Ishara's eyes grew darker. Despite being officially engaged to Lawrence, he had not visited the Blanchet family to partake in the celebration of her new role nor had he reached out to her.
Grandpa found this unusual even the high society circles of Trento City were starting to whisper.
To keep up appearances and to quell the rumors as well as to hold onto his heart, Ishara had to take the initiative. She hadn't expected to be so coldly dismissed. If word of his attitude spread through the Rodriguez family's senior executive, it would be over for her.
Ishara hid the chill in her heart and her eyes swiftly reddened. "Lawrence, are you in a bad mood today? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. Skipping a meal isn't a big deal but Lawrence, I have a medical check-up today. Aren't you coming with me to the hospital to make sure Stephanie's surgery goes well? You always insist on seeing my normal blood pressure yourself before feeling at ease."
In truth, Ishara had orchestrated the presence of reporters around the hospital beforehand. Upon the release of the photos, the news would highlight their affectionate and charming relationship for everyone to witness. This would strengthen her position within the Blanchet family even more.
Yet, Lawrence was oblivious to what she was plotting. His understanding of the inner workings of the Blanchet family company might rival, if not surpass, Winnie's conjectures. He wouldn't possibly tried to play into Ishara's hands and provoke Winnie.
The man's lips curved slightly, his eyes dark and icy. He stood up, his nearly six-foot-three stature imposing and intense. Lawrence stared back at his phone with Sidney's latest Facebook message, clearly in a foul mood. He turned and took off his suit jacket.
Ishara’s doe eyes twinkled with mirth. "Lawrence, I’ve arranged a ride to the hospital."
Lawrence remained cold and unforgiving as he cast a glance in her direction. "Wasn't I clear the last time? Do you believe you can still leverage your health to threaten me? If you dare, bleed out right here. But you won't. Without your bone marrow, you’re nothing." His final words were uttered in a subdued yet menacing tone, sending a chill through Ishara's heart. His icy demeanor left no doubt that she held no significance to him.
The Rodriguez family’s senior executive kept stealing glances at her and Ishara was caught in an excruciating embarrassment, a predicament of her own doing with Lawrence outright repudiating her and unbothered by her threats.
Lawrence walked passed her and spoke in a low voice to Luke, "Let Ishara stay here as long as she likes. Get my car ready."
Luke cast a glance at the pallid Ishara, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Yes, Sir."
Lawrence walked away.
Claire supported the agitated, breathless Ishara and whispered, "Ms. Ishara, how can Lawrence be so harsh to you?"
"Shut up." Ishara hissed, her eyes fixed on the doorway.
He was rushing but the destination he was headed was unknown to Ishara. A pang of jealousy gnawed at her as she sensed the answer and clenched her teeth with envy.
Winnie.
Lawrence was purposely undermining her after their engagement and his close proximity with Winnie was plainly visible, leaving no room for disguise.
She was hardly able to bask in her triumph before facing the scornful stares of Trento City's elite. It seemed that he wanted to make her the butt of a joke.
'Lawrence, if you're going to be this cruel, don't blame me for being harsh on your son,' she thought to herself. Ishara clenched her fists, a fiery anger smoldering within. Once she was carrying his child, his attitude toward her would surely change.
"Ishara, do you need me to show you around the Rodriguez family corporation?" Luke called out from a distance, his tone casual.
"No need to bother, Luke." Ishara managed a smile despite the lump in her throat, sensing a possible displeasure from the executive assistant.
Before long, she had no choice but to leave. As soon as she entered the elevator, Ishara squinted and instructed Claire, "Get in touch with Darcy. I need a secret meeting with her."
-
In the Rodriguez family’s underground parking garage, a car pulled up in front of Lawrence and he glanced at the driver. "Got nothing better to do?"
"Aren't you headed to Winnie's hotel? Sidney hit me up too," Jeremy said with a grin.
"What would you be doing there?"
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