Chapter 105 A Perfect Match
Gayle stormed back into his luxurious suite, angrily ripping open his shirt buttons.
He had already called his assistant, who said that Aaron's people hadn't accessed the surveillance.
So, where did the surveillance footage come from?
Fortunately, he had managed to destroy the video.
While Gayle was still feeling relieved, his phone rang.
It was his assistant.
Upon picking up, he heard the desperate voice of his assistant. "Mr. Gayle, there's a problem; our website has been hacked!"
Gayle's expression darkened. "Who did it? Why haven't you had the tech department handle it?"
"We can't do anything; it's gotta be the work of a pro hacker. Mr. Gayle, you better take a look at the website!" the assistant said, clearly troubled.
A bad feeling brewing inside him, Gayle hurriedly opened the website. To his horror, he found the video Aaron had promised to delete playing on a loop!
Aaron had double-crossed him!
With his face clouding over, Gayle was about to call his assistant to have the video taken down when his phone rang again.
Seeing the caller ID, he involuntarily swallowed, sweat beading on his forehead.
It was his wife!
Someone in the company must have spoken to Sophia!
Gayle, not daring to delay, tried to remain calm as he answered, "Sophia, what's up?"
"Gayle, you didn't come home all night claiming to entertain an important client. Turns out you were shacking up with Finn?"
The call connected to the sound of a woman's shrill voice on the other end.
Gayle quickly pulled the phone away from his ear. "No, sweetie, listen to me; I really was with a client; Finn was just helping out with that!"
"Gayle, stop lying. Put Finn on the phone for me!" The line clicked dead.
"Sophia, let me explain!" Gayle was frantic and agitated.
Finn, witnessing the scene, let a sly smile flicker in her eyes.
"Mr. Gayle, does Sophia know about us? What are we going to do now? Is she going to divorce you?"
She had been with Gayle for many years, secretly aspiring to be the wife of a CEO someday.
Even though the rumor mill at the company suggested that Gayle was under his wife's thumb, she figured with the current state of Godric Group firmly under Gayle's command. If his wife were to find out about their affair, it might just pave the way for a divorce.
This could be her chance to rise to the top.
"You need to get out of here and find a place to lay low for a while."
Gayle was a mess of nerves, his forehead slick with sweat.
His wife was no one to mess with.
She could show up any minute!
"Mr. Gayle, I won't hide. I want to face this with you." Finn embraced him.
Annoyed, Gayle pushed her toward the door. "Finn, don't make things harder. Just get out of here!"
His father-in-law was the major shareholder of the company.
He was practically on his knees, begging his wife not to kick him off the board!
Meanwhile, Aaron and Nora headed to the Smiths' suite.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Smith? Are you still feeling uncomfortable?" Nora asked with concern.
"It's all better now, thanks to you, Nora."
Mr. Smith replied with a smile, adding, "Amelia mentioned you're actually a doctor, and you took the job as Mr. Gordon's secretary for some extra earning?"
Nora glanced at Aaron. "Mr. Gordon, I hope you don't mind. I was honest with Amelia. We hit it off, and I didn't want to lie to her."
Aaron appreciated Nora's emotional intelligence.
She had been subtly flattering Amelia all along.
"Of course, I don't mind."
He was contemplating whether to offer her a high salary to be his personal secretary once they got back.
"Mr. Gordon, Nora really knows what to say. She's earned you a lot of points!" Amelia said, laughing as she affectionately took Nora's hand.
Aaron smiled. "Yes, I always say she's my good luck charm."
Flattered, Nora played along. "Mr. Gordon, don't put that pressure on me. If we come back empty-handed, I wonder if I'll still be a lucky star or a jinx?"
A twinkle of mirth crossed Aaron's eyes. "Nora, didn't you catch the subtext in Amelia's words? She said you've scored me a lot of points, which means we still have a chance to renegotiate our deal. Right, Mr. Smith?"
At this, Mr. Smith chuckled heartily.
"Mr. Gordon, I guess I can discuss the cooperation with you again. Gayle's quote was very competitive, but if you agree to reduce your profit margins even further, we could strike a deal right now."
Hearing this, Aaron's tone turned serious.
"Mr. Smith, for a long-term cooperation between our companies, price is one factor, but reputation is even more crucial, don't you think? I believe that Gordon Group has a stronger reputation than Godric Group," Aaron paused, "We're all in business to make a profit. If a project isn't making money, naturally, we'd look for ways to cut costs and increase margins. Mr. Smith, if I really lower my price, would you feel confident working with me?"
His words were logical and convincing.
Smith shook his head. "Mr. Gordon, you really have a way with words. What a perfect match with Nora."
Nora and Aaron happened to catch each other's gaze. Her heart raced at the eye contact. She quickly looked away, trying to keep her composure.
"Alright, Mr. Gordon has made a good point. Take some time to think about who you'd rather partner with," Amelia interjected, trying to persuade him.
Smith had already made up his mind. "Okay, I'll think it over. Where's Mr. Gayle? Why hasn't he come to discuss with me?"
Aaron glanced at the clock, a faint smile on his lips. "Maybe Mr. Gayle ran into some trouble. How about we go look for him?"
They stepped out of the suite and found Frederick waiting outside.
"Mr. Gordon, Mr. Gayle, and his wife are causing a scene in the lobby," he reported.
As expected, Sophia had shown up.
"Let's go see what's happening."
Approaching the hotel lobby, they heard a woman's scolding from a distance. There stood Finn, guarded by two bodyguards, his hair a mess, his face swollen and bruised.
A well-dressed middle-aged woman yelled at him while Gayle tried to calm her with a soothing tone.
"Sophia, stop it; she still has her uses," he pleaded.
Sophia turned sharply, slapping him across the face.
"What do you want to keep her? For your own use or for clients? Is this how you do business? We're supposed to be running a legitimate operation. Just show some solid performance. If Smith signs a contract for spending a night with a woman, then he's no good either!"
Her shrill voice was heard clearly by the Smiths standing outside the crowd.
Smith's face darkened in an instant.
His assistant made way for him as he approached the Gayles.
"Mr. Gayle, I've never conducted business through underhanded means. Please, don't tarnish my reputation."
With a steely gaze, Amelia backed up the accusation. "Mr. Gayle, my husband is a man of integrity. Are you trying to drive a wedge between us?"
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