Chapter 167
Caught off guard, Michelle struggled to maintain her composure under Teresa's scrutiny. Without a doubt, she wasn't about to repeat her words for everyone to hear, but she feigned innocence, smiling and turning to William, "William, I'm sorry. Whatever issues I have with Hayden, we'll sort them out ourselves. You go back to what you were doing."
Hayden, with her poised and confident demeanor, was well-aware of her family's respected status. Stubbornly, she mustered a smile.
"As your boyfriend, I'm here to support you and help you through your problems," William said, his voice and eyes full of tenderness as he looked at Michelle. Yet, the very next second, when his gaze shifted back to Hayden, all that warmth turned frosty, his voice became cold and firm, "Hayden, everything between us has been settled clearly. From now on, we won't have any connection whatsoever. I'd appreciate it if you stop using your status to bother me, and definitely keep away from my girlfriend. Otherwise, I promise you, it'll only be more embarrassing for you."
"Michelle, let's head upstairs," William looked at Michelle again and, with that, wrapped his arm around her.
"But Hayden, she..."
"Let's not worry about her. We're leaving." Without another word, William pressed the elevator call button, and as the doors opened, he pulled Michelle inside with him, leaving the past behind in the lobby.
Before stepping onto the elevator, Michelle glanced back at Teresa and Hayden with a look full of regret. Teresa locked eyes with her, a tumult of emotions churning within. Hayden, however, met the gaze with a mocking, icy sneer.
"Hayden," Teresa said after William and Michelle had left, her voice laced with unspoken tenderness.
"I'm fine," Hayden fought back the tears welling up in her eyes and once again recovered her demeanor, smiling at Teresa with a carefree elegance, "You free for lunch? Join me."
"Of course," Teresa replied without hesitation, knowing she couldn't refuse at a time like this. She nodded emphatically and said with a smile, "What do you feel like eating? It's on me!"
"Pfft! As if I can't afford my own lunch. Even if you wanted diamonds, I could cover it. Let's go." With that, Hayden grabbed Teresa's hand and strode out with unbridled confidence.
Teresa grinned and quickly followed her pace.
...
Liam's Prime Investment wasn't far from the Bennett Group's tower. Figuring that three's company, Hayden suggested inviting Diana to join them for lunch, so Teresa called her up.
Diana showed up quickly, and the three of them found themselves in a private room of a Japanese restaurant. Before the food was even served, Hayden, who was obviously furious, ordered five bottles of sake and finished one a few moment later.
Teresa, understanding her friend's sour mood, didn't try to stop her, but since she had classes to attend in the afternoon, she didn't indulge herself.
Diana, too, seemed to be in a less-than-pleasant mood and joined Hayden in the drinking.
As the two of them kept each other company with drinks, Teresa watched on. If Diana ended up drunk, Teresa could easily just inform Liam and arrange for Diana to take the afternoon off.
Teresa quietly ate while watching the two of them drink, occasionally offering them bites to eat. Before they knew it, those five bottles were empty.
Living with Diana for three years, Teresa had never guessed she could hold her liquor so well. To her surprise, both Diana and Hayden didn't show any signs of inebriation after five bottles of sake.
Eventually, they'd drunk so much that they needed a restroom break. Teresa, noticing the time, suggested that they call it a day and continue some other time. Diana, thinking about returning to work, readily agreed.
With both her companions having commitments, Hayden also gave her nod of approval. They then signaled the waitstaff for the check.
"Diana, you've had a fair bit to drink, haven't you? Maybe you should take the afternoon off and skip work?" Observing the flushed look on Diana's face, Teresa expressed her concern.
Waving a hand nonchalantly after belching discreetly behind her hand, Diana replied, "No worries, I've got stuff to handle later. Besides, Liam's out today, no one's gonna scrutinize me."
With Diana insisting, Teresa let the matter go. After Hayden paid the bill, the trio left the restaurant. Teresa headed to the university as it wasn't on her way, while Hayden, whose route aligned with Diana's, gave her a lift.
The sake they'd had wasn't particularly strong; at first, it didn't seem intoxicating. But as time passed, its potency became apparent. When Diana got out of the car in front of the towering offices of Prime Investment, the brisk early winter breeze hit her and the alcohol's effects surged.
"Diana, you good?" Hayden quickly lowered the car window to check on her after noticing her unsteady steps and slight stagger.
With a smile and a dismissive wave, she assured, "I’m fine. Thanks, I'll see you around," She turned and walked straight into the building and toward her office.
Having taken the elevator up to the CEO's suite, she immediately bumped into Liam's assistant Chuck. He couldn't miss the drunken glaze over her eyes and the smell of alcohol.
"Chuck, weren’t you..." Diana looked up at the stern-faced Chuck, her head spinning a bit, "Weren't you and Liam away on a business trip? When did you get back?"
"Just got back," replied Chuck, his expression slightly strained. He had documents in hand and was clearly in a hurry. Still, he took a moment to remind her, "Hey, did you finish the investment proposal for Global Shopper? Get it over to Liam for review as soon as you can."
After issuing the instruction, Chuck strode past her and into the elevator.
"Right, will do!" Diana said to his vanishing back view, then gave herself a mental jolt and dashed to her desk.
