Chapter 614 Pioneering a New Path
Reese totally got what Malcolm was hinting at; she hadn't clued him in on this side of her life.
But hey, this whole thing popped up out of nowhere, so she hadn't really planned for it.
Calvin watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but be even more impressed with Reese. She was seriously becoming someone worth sticking with for the long haul.
Reese gave a nod. She was here today mainly to check out the stock market. She'd seen the trends, bought some stocks, and made some cash. Mission accomplished.
She turned to Jesse and said, "Get these people out of here and tell the reporters outside to scram. I want the entrance cleared in half an hour."
Jesse nodded. "Got it, I'll take care of it."
Reese then looked at Malcolm. "How about we head to my office first? There are too many reporters outside; leaving now would be a hassle."
Malcolm's eyes lit up. "Sure thing, babe."
Calvin was about to tag along, but Jesse stopped him. "The couple needs some alone time. Why would you want to be the third wheel?"
"So, where should I go?" Calvin asked.
He still needed to wait for Reese so they could head back to the secret base together. Ryan and the others hadn't seen Reese in ages and were missing her big time.
Jesse thought for a second. "Come to my office."
After all, Calvin was close to Reese and deserved decent treatment.
"Cool, do you have any snacks in your office? I'm kinda hungry," Calvin agreed.
Jesse replied, "I'll have my assistant order some takeout for you."
"Make sure they order a lot; I can eat a ton," Calvin said, patting his empty stomach. Since someone else was paying, he might as well enjoy a good meal.
Jesse glanced at Calvin, curious. "Doesn't Ms. Brooks pay you a salary?"
Calvin shot back, "Of course she does. Reese treats us great; we never lack money."
Jesse mused, "So you just want a free meal."
Calvin shrugged. "Doesn't Reese pay you a salary?"
Jesse realized Reese's crew was pretty sharp-tongued. He couldn't outtalk Calvin. "Alright, I'll order it now."
Calvin grinned. "Yeah, order a lot, and get me a coffee too, Jesse."
Jesse was speechless.
Stephen and Kenneth were still hanging out in the lobby. Jesse's assistant had to keep in mind that both were company big shots, especially Stephen, who was rumored to be Reese's dad. They had to be treated with respect.
Jesse had the assistant invite the two to the lounge.
It was their first time meeting like this, and it was a bit awkward.
Kenneth knew Stephen's background. Whether for other reasons or not, he felt it was necessary to get along with Stephen.
He picked up the cup in front of him and politely said to Stephen, "Mr. Hawthorne, here's to you. After all, we're both Reese's fathers."
Stephen knew Kenneth had taken in Reese and her mom, Natalia, before, but his cheating led to Natalia's death. There was still some bitterness in his heart.
Stephen's attitude was cold, like he didn't even want to look at Kenneth. "Mr. Brooks, what you did was really awful: you left Reese's mom for your current wife. I had no choice but to let Reese and her mom leave back then. It wasn't like I wanted to kick them out."
Kenneth could totally hear the sarcasm dripping from Stephen's words.
He sneered, "Didn't you do the same thing back then? To keep your spot in the company, you ditched Reese and Natalia. Otherwise, why would they have ended up with me?"
Stephen shot back, "With your family's resources, raising a little girl was nothing, yet you sent her to the countryside to suffer. Over the years, you haven't treated Reese well either. You made her live with her grandmother, making her depend on her."
Kenneth mocked, "Isn't it funny to hear you say that? Reese is your biological daughter, and over the years, you haven't cared for her. If Reese hadn't found out and come to you herself, you probably wouldn't have sought her out in this lifetime."
He felt that compared to Stephen, the biological father, he had done his best as a foster father. At least he let Reese live with her grandmother. If he had been more ruthless, he could have sold Reese or sent her away.
Stephen felt like a knife had been stabbed into his heart, and his face darkened.
He took a deep breath, "I'll treat Reese well now. You don't need to worry about that."
Kenneth replied, "I hope so, Mr. Hawthorne. If Reese were my biological daughter, I would never treat her like this."
Stephen didn't respond. He asked himself and realized he had indeed done something terrible.
Reese had no idea that her past and present fathers were discussing her at this moment.
Malcolm walked over, pulled her onto the sofa, and looked around. "Seems like I underestimated you. I didn't know my honey's place was so grand. This building is prime real estate, and you have a spot here."
"Actually, it's not that. Mainly, I think this place has a broad view. I love standing here and looking at the scenery. It always makes me feel refreshed. In all of Atlanta, my office has the best view. You can see the entire downtown Atlanta," Reese explained.
Malcolm held Reese, one hand pressing her head so she could rest on his lap.
He knew that Reese hadn't slept well in the past two days and seemed to have lost weight. He wondered if it was because she had saved Sebastian, leaving her body with some issues.
He gently stroked her hair as he joked, "You don't have an office in every building in Atlanta, do you?"
Reese chuckled, "That's impossible!"
Malcolm responded, "I never thought so before, but now I think it's possible. After all, you always surprise me."
Malcolm never thought he would marry such an impressive wife in his lifetime.
Reese lay in Malcolm's arms, feeling very at ease. No arguments, no strange looks or disdainful eyes—just him.
Closing her eyes, she sighed, "Darling, thank you so much for supporting me unconditionally. You didn't expect those two stocks to win, did you?"
After all, no one present would have thought the least noticeable stocks would win.
Malcolm couldn't deny it. "True. In business, we make decisions based on data. Who would have thought the flood in Riverside District would open a new path for them? Those two companies were frequently losing money, and from what I know, they wouldn't last three months before declaring bankruptcy."
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