Chapter 136 Charles Visits Mr. Murphy
"Our boss enjoys sleeping, reading," Jesse once again spoke on Daphne's behalf, his cool voice contrasting with his youthful countenance, "and getting into scuffles."
"That's cool," Bill complimented without missing a beat.
Only one thought crossed his mind; Ms. Murphy was attractive, proficient in her field, and had a great personality! She was his type.
As he was about to speak again, his phone rang. He meant to dismiss the call but answered promptly when he saw it was from Mark. Excusing himself, he took the call.
"Yes, Mark. We're outside having lunch with the investment consultant from the Murphy Group we've just partnered with.
"Right now?" he asked in disbelief.
"Okay, okay, I'll be there soon."
After Bill engaged in a serious conversation over the phone, his expression grew solemn toward the end before he hung up.
Although he was keen on having another meal with Daphne, he couldn't ignore the CEO's summons. "I'm sorry, Ms. Murphy. Our CEO has unexpectedly arrived early, and I need to head back immediately."
"Taylor, stay here with Ms. Murphy, and make sure she enjoys her meal," Bill instructed before turning to ask, "The CEO has arrived?"
"Yeah, they just arrived at the office," Bill replied.
"I thought Mark said they weren't arriving until this afternoon?"
"I'm not sure, but I have to go back now." Bill hustled out in a rush.
From the moment Daphne heard him make the call and mention Mark, she was cloaked in doubt. "The CEO you just spoke of is...?"
"Our top boss at Lancelot Group headquarters, Charles," Manager Taylor felt there was nothing to hide, "He'll be working out of the Gedser branch moving forward."
Daphne, puzzled, thought, 'What's Charles up to?'
"I need to leave now, but let's get together again soon." With a smile, Manager Taylor departed.
Daphne's usual poise was marred by a hint of worry upon learning of Charles's arrival in town. Jesse noticed, "Boss?"
"It's nothing, let's just eat," Daphne composed herself.
The lunch didn't last long, and after finishing, they parted ways. Daphne sought out her cousin right away.
Gavin was increasingly impressed by Daphne's prowess in sealing the deal and securing top terms. "You're indeed my cousin, truly remarkable!"
Daphne sat silently on the chair beside him, lost in thought.
"What's on your mind?" Gavin noticed her lost in thought.
"I've decided to let Jesse handle the negotiations with Murphy Group moving forward," Daphne decided, taken aback by Charles's plan to work out of Gedser. "I won't go."
Gavin was perplexed. "Why?"
"I heard their CEO Charles has come this way and will be working here indefinitely." Daphne spoke earnestly at first but then started to humorously claim, "I'm worried that if I go for the negotiation, he might fancy me and propose a union between the Lancelot and Murphy families."
At that, Gavin looked at her, scrutinizing.
Daphne felt uneasy under his gaze.
Gavin suddenly decided, "You're right. It's better if I handle it from now on."
"You're serious about this?" Daphne asked.
"I've looked into Charles, and by all accounts, he seems like a good match for you," Gavin said earnestly, without a trace of jest. "But he's too cold. Not the right fit for you."
The notion that he might play matchmaker crossed her mind briefly; if he were the warm-hearted type. But that wasn't the case with this guy. Daphne exhaled a murky breath, slightly relieved.
"Speaking of which, when are you getting hitched? You're going to be 25 soon," Gavin fanned the flames of his gossipy nature. "Got anyone special in mind? How about Evan?"
Daphne just gave him a blank look.
"Come on, say something. What's with that face?" Gavin prodded.
"Why the rush? You're still playing the field," Daphne replied casually, yet their company remained easygoing. "Come talk to me about settling down once you've tied the knot and have kids old enough to help out with the groceries."
"Hey, you little rascal!" he exclaimed.
"I've got to get going after we wrap this up—I've got a ton of work waiting," Daphne stood her ground.
"Wait a minute!" Gavin called out to stop her.
Daphne turned around with her usual nonchalant look, unfazed as ever.
"You wouldn't happen to be hiding someone in your heart, would you?" Gavin asked with his face ablaze with curiosity.
Daphne raised an eyebrow. Where did that come from?
"Is it that guy from when you were eighteen? The one who walked you home?"
Daphne was still confused.
"The one in the combat boots, wearing a black trench coat, ruggedly handsome!"
At this, Daphne finally showed some reaction. Was he talking about the Captain?
"How did you know about him?" she asked, a touch more serious now.
Back when she was eighteen, she got injured on a mission. Concerned for her safety, the Captain insisted on escorting her home, even though it was in the wee hours of the morning, and the household was asleep—her cousin lived next door.
"Is it really him?" he prodded.
"No, he's just a superior," Daphne clarified, wanting to avoid any misunderstanding. Still cautious, she asked, "Did you get a good look at him?"
"How could I from that far away?" Gavin confessed candidly. "But even from a distance, his presence and style were unmistakably striking."
Even to a guy like Gavin, the Captain had an impressive aura.
"Oh," Daphne felt at ease again and half-joked, "You'd think differently if you saw him up close—he's not that good-looking."
The so-called "not good-looking" Captain was currently sitting in a neatly organized room filled with cherry wood furniture. His long fingers bore calluses, yet they were still strikingly handsome.
He was looking at a photo in his hand. Upon closer inspection, there were eight people in the photo, two of whom were him and Daphne.
"Impossible," Gavin still had faith in his perception.
Daphne didn't want to delve into the topic any further; the less people knew about the Captain, the better.
They were all starting to live their own lives now, but the Captain had always belonged to the country. It was better not to discuss him too much.
That afternoon, after wrapping up her business with The Lancelot Group, Daphne planned to head back to Anhue International.
Daphne was surprised when a barrage of WhatsApp messages from Lydia lit up her phone.
Lydia: [!!!!]
Lydia: [Sis, you won't believe what's happening at home.]
Lydia: [Dad is totally bewildered.]
Daphne: [?]
Lydia: [Charles is here!]
Daphne: [?]
Lydia: [Your ex-husband, my former brother-in-law. He just showed up at our place with a bunch of stuff and went straight to the study with Dad. I have no idea what they're talking about.]
Daphne was speechless. Her ex, Charles, was quite the piece of work. She rubbed her throbbing temples, truly not wanting anything further to do with Charles.
She was all too aware of her temperament as well as Charles's; any encounter between them was sure to be filled with tension and conflict.
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