Chapter 417 Were you just trying to touch my face?
Seeing his lips inch closer, Sharon quickly pushed against his chest. "I can sleep."
"Still heading to Demetrius' place?" Seb asked.
Sharon shook her head. "Nope, not going."
"Alright, let's sleep then," Seb said, letting go of Sharon and settling back into his spot.
As Seb moved away, the fresh cedar scent on him slowly faded. Sharon clutched the blanket, feeling a strange sense of loss.
"Why aren't you covering up? Need my help?" Seb's deep voice cut through her wandering thoughts.
"No, I'm good." She pulled the blanket up to her collarbone and shut her eyes, trying to sleep.
After Demetrius turned three, he insisted on sleeping in his own room. For the past two years, Sharon had been sleeping alone, and now with someone suddenly beside her, she felt really uncomfortable.
Sharon thought she'd have trouble sleeping, but to her surprise, she dozed off pretty quickly.
Seb heard her even breathing and turned to look at her. The room was pitch dark, and he could only make out the outline of her face.
Sharon, whom Seb had missed for over five years, was now sleeping beside him. Seb found it hard to describe the feeling.
It was like finding a lost treasure after many years; it made him ecstatic yet vaguely unreal.
He quietly watched Sharon for a long time, until his eyes felt sore, then he looked away and gently held her hand under the blanket.
At the Bridges Villa, even though it was late, the light in the study was still on.
Ayla and Leo sat on the sofa, both looking pretty serious.
"Leo, Mr. Simmons said he'd give me a chance, but the Bridges Group has to invest six hundred million dollars to join the Golden Water Resort project," Ayla said.
Six hundred million dollars was a lot for the Bridges Group.
Ayla knew the Bridges Group only had eight hundred million in liquid assets. If they invested six hundred million in the resort, there'd be no return until the resort was built and opened.
If it were four hundred million, she could still discuss it with Garry, but six hundred million? Garry would definitely not agree.
If anything happened to the Bridges Group and they couldn't pull funds from the project, the Bridges Group would face bankruptcy.
Leo was silent for a moment, then said, "Ayla, I can't make this decision for you, but if I were you, having worked so hard to get this opportunity, I wouldn't give it up easily."
Hearing this, Ayla frowned, thinking about how she had humbled herself to Jerry at the golf course today. Jerry only gave her a chance to talk because he knew she was backed by the Bridges Group. She couldn't help but grit her teeth.
When she talked to Jerry, there were several other group representatives present, all from groups with similar strength to the Bridges Group, making the competition fierce.
In the end, Jerry said that if the Bridges Group was sincere, Garry should bring the money to negotiate with him, instead of letting Ayla, who couldn't make decisions, waste his time.
Seeing Ayla's expression soften a bit, Leo continued, "Anyway, it's impossible to bid with the Silvercrest Group now. You have to tell Grandpa about this sooner or later. Why not tell him now and then inform him about the Golden Water Resort project? Let Grandpa decide whether to invest the money."
"But if I do that, Grandpa's promise of company shares..." Ayla hesitated.
"Ayla, you can't have both the resort project benefits and the municipal project benefits. It's already lucky if Grandpa isn't completely disappointed in you. There will always be opportunities for the shares in the future," Leo cut in.
Ayla's face soured, but she knew Leo was right. She nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go see Grandpa."
Ten minutes later, in the study of The Bridges Villa.
Garry's face was stormy. "How did you teach Jerold? Jerold dared to lie like this! And you went to negotiate with Seb without verifying the facts, making the Bridges family lose face!"
Ayla lowered her eyes, filled with displeasure, but didn't dare to retort.
After Garry finished venting his anger, Ayla lifted her gaze and cautiously spoke, "Grandpa, the cooperation with the Silvercrest Group is definitely off the table. I met with Mr. Simmons, the general manager of Starlight Corporation, today. Mr. Simmons agreed to let the Bridges Group join the Golden Water Resort project, but the initial investment might be a bit high."
Hearing about the Golden Water Resort project, Garry looked surprised.
He knew about this project; many groups had tried to collaborate with Starlight Corporation for profits but were rejected.
"Are you sure Starlight Corporation is willing to let the Bridges Group join?" Garry asked.
Ayla nodded, "I'm sure. Starlight Corporation is willing to let other groups join because they've recently had some issues with their funding chain and lack follow-up funds. They can't complete this project, so they're willing to let other groups join."
As she spoke, she observed Garry's expression and continued when she saw he was listening, "When I went to see Mr. Simmons today, there were two other group presidents there who also wanted to join this project."
Garry frowned and asked, "How much investment is needed to join this project?"
"Six hundred million dollars," Ayla replied.
"What?" Garry's eyes widened, and his expression changed instantly as he flatly refused, "No way! This project won't yield returns in the short term. If we invest so much money in this project, and the Bridges Group encounters any issues later, we might face bankruptcy."
If he were younger, Garry would seize such a good opportunity even if it meant risking everything.
But now he was old and no longer as decisive as he used to be.
If the Bridges Group went bankrupt now, he wouldn't have the energy or courage to start over.
Seeing his refusal, Ayla became anxious, "Grandpa, but this opportunity is rare. Once the resort is built, it will start generating profits, and the money will gradually come back."
"There's no need to say more. I won't agree. You can leave now," Garry said.
Ayla was unwilling, but most of the Bridges Group's shares were in Garry's hands. Without his agreement, the project couldn't proceed.
She sighed and said slowly, "Grandpa, I still hope you'll consider it carefully. I'm meeting Mr. Simmons tomorrow. If you change your mind, anytime..."
Garry interrupted her coldly, "Ayla, I know you want to achieve something, but business is like a battlefield. If you make decisions too hastily, you're more likely to make mistakes."
"Yes, Grandpa, I understand," Ayla said.
Seeing that she hadn't really taken his words to heart, Garry said no more and waved her away. After Ayla left, Garry got up and walked to the window, staring out at the dark night with a somber expression.
He was getting old, and none of his children or grandchildren seemed capable of taking over the Bridges Group.
If this continued, the Bridges Group would eventually change its name.
Thinking of this, Garry couldn't help but feel a deep sadness.
Ayla was one of the more promising grandchildren, but she still fell short of managing the Bridges Group.
Leo was quite good, having turned a perpetually losing game company into a profitable one, which showed he had some ability. But he wasn't a member of the Bridges family, and Garry didn't trust him.
It seemed he still needed to find a way to groom Damon. If Damon didn't work out, he would have to hand the group over to Ayla in the future.
Ayla had no idea what Garry was thinking and returned to the villa, looking dejected.
"Ayla, why do you look so upset? Did Grandpa disagree?" Leo asked.
Ayla nodded weakly, "Yes, Grandpa thinks six hundred million dollars is too much."
Actually, she had already known the answer before going to Garry, but she felt she had put in so much effort that she wanted to give it a try.
Leo's expression softened as he pulled her into his arms, "Don't be sad. There will be better projects in the future."
"But I feel a bit unwilling," Ayla said.
Leo gently patted her back and comforted her in a low voice, "Right now, the shares are in Grandpa's hands, so we have to listen to him. If there's any movement from Starlight Corporation in the future, I'll let you know."
Ayla suddenly thought of something and pulled away from Leo, looking up at him, "Leo, your game company should be able to free up quite a bit of money, right?"
Leo frowned and looked troubled, "Probably around two hundred million dollars, but that money belongs to the company, not us. I won't agree to take it out."
Hearing his refusal, Ayla looked cold, "If you don't want to, forget it. I was just asking."
Leo's eyes flickered, and he nodded, "Alright, you've had a busy day. I'll go run you a bath so you can relax and rest well tomorrow."
"Okay," Ayla said.
After Leo left, Ayla lowered her eyes, her gaze flickering as she pondered something.
The next morning, Sharon opened her eyes and saw Seb's handsome face up close. It took her a couple of seconds to remember that Seb had slept in her room last night.
She stared at Seb's face, and as she looked, the affection and joy showed in her eyes.
Just as she was about to reach out and touch Seb's thick eyebrows, he suddenly opened his eyes.
Sharon's hand froze near his eyebrows, and she quickly pulled it back when she realized what she was doing.
"Good morning," Sharon said.
Seb's lips curved into a smile, his voice tinged with amusement, "Sharon, were you trying to touch my face just now?"
Sharon remained calm, "No, there was a hair on your face, and I wanted to help you remove it."
"Really?" Seb asked.
Meeting his teasing eyes, Sharon felt a bit uneasy and looked away. "Yes, it's not early anymore. We should get up."
As soon as she finished speaking, he grabbed her hand. The next second, he placed her hand on his face. "Feel free to touch."
Just as Sharon was about to pull her hand back, a knock came from the door. "Ms. Roach, Ms. Lee is here."
Sharon was a bit surprised. Why would Sophie come to see her so early? "Okay, I know. Have her wait downstairs for ten minutes."
After the servant left, Sharon turned to see Seb still holding her hand, her face involuntarily turning red.
"Let go of me. I need to get up," Sharon said.
"Give me a kiss, and I'll let go," Seb said.
Sharon couldn't help but glare at him, "Seb, can you stop being so childish?"
"I just want a good morning kiss. If you don't give it to me, I won't let go," Seb said.
At that moment, Sharon saw a bit of Demetrius in him.
Before Demetrius turned three, he would also demand a kiss on the cheek every morning, or he would throw a tantrum.
Thinking of Sophie waiting downstairs, Sharon leaned in and quickly kissed Seb on the cheek before pulling away.
"Now can you let go of me?" Her tone was calm, but the slight redness of her ears betrayed her.
Seb didn't tease her further and released her hand.
Sharon sat up and had just gotten out of bed when a pair of strong hands supported her. "I'll help you wash up."
With his help, she could indeed move faster, so Sharon didn't refuse.
Walking into the bathroom, Sharon noticed a black toothbrush and cup next to hers. Not only that, but everything else had become a pair.
She pointed at the toothbrush cup, "What's this about?"
Seb rubbed his nose, "If I said it was to take care of you, would you believe me?"
"What do you think?" Sharon said.
"Alright, I want to hold your hand every night before bed and see you first every morning."
Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, Sharon felt a surge of unknown emotions and didn't know how to respond.
She looked away and said softly, "I'll wash up first."
Seeing her calm profile, Seb breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't angry, it was fine.
After they finished washing up and changing clothes, Sharon didn't react at all when she saw half of the wardrobe filled with Seb's clothes.
And during the wash-up, she had already accepted the fact that they would be sharing a room.
After all, they were now a couple, and living together was normal.
Moreover, they had Demetrius now. If nothing unexpected happened, they would be together for life, so living together was just a matter of time.
After changing clothes, Seb insisted on carrying Sharon downstairs.
Sophie was sitting on the living room sofa, drinking coffee. When she saw Seb carrying Sharon downstairs, she almost spat out her coffee.
Sophie quickly put down her cup and looked at Seb and Sharon with curiosity. Could it be that they had such a wild night that Sharon couldn't even walk?
Seb placed Sharon on the sofa opposite Sophie, greeted Sophie, and then went to the study, leaving the living room to them.
As soon as he left, Sophie teased, "It looks like Seb had a tough time holding back these years. You can still get up so early today."
Realizing what she was implying, Sharon felt her face heat up. "I twisted my ankle, so it's hard to walk. That's why he carried me."
Sophie looked at her skeptically, "If it's just a twisted ankle, why are you blushing?"
Sharon remained silent. She cleared her throat and looked at Sophie, "Why did you come to see me so early?"
Sophie replied, "I originally wanted to ask you to go shopping, but since you twisted your ankle, we can't go. By the way, how did you twist your ankle? Was it with Seb..."
"No!" Sharon interrupted her, afraid she would say something outrageous. She didn't expect Sophie's imagination to be so wild. "I twisted it while hiking yesterday."
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