Chapter 471 The Engagement
"You can just send someone from the company to talk to the Abbott Group. I ain't showing up."
Aaron still had no clue she owned the hotel. If he found out, he might've pulled some shady moves.
So, better to keep her boss status on the down-low until the deal's locked in.
The secretary nodded, and just as she was about to pack up and bounce, her phone rang. Her face went pale, and after hanging up, she looked at her and said, "Ms. Jones, the project we talked about with Mr. Richardson's side last time hit a snag. We might have some competition."
"Wasn't that project pretty much in the bag? Who in Philly could be gunning for it?"
"Mr. Richardson's assistant hinted it's a big shot from Lindwell."
A big shot from Lindwell?
Susanna's gut did a flip.
Could it be the Abbott Group?
But Aaron just hightailed it from Philly back to Lindwell. He shouldn't have the bandwidth to mess with this right now, right?
Then again, it might not be Aaron.
Lindwell's a big place with plenty of heavy hitters. It might not be the Abbott Group; she could be overthinking it.
Susanna took a deep breath and told the secretary, "Check Mr. Richardson's schedule. I need to chat with him about this and see what's up."
She'd busted her butt to nail this project. No way she was letting it slip away.
The secretary quickly made a call to check Owen's schedule and said, "Mr. Richardson has a charity dinner tonight."
"A charity dinner? How come I didn't hear about it?"
Usually, charity dinners with the president are all over the news, inviting everyone to chip in. Why hadn't she heard about this one? Something felt off.
The secretary replied, "I heard this charity dinner is organized by his daughter, Amelia Richardson. She hasn't been back in the country long, and Mr. Richardson spoils her. He probably made time to attend because of Amelia."
"No wonder. That makes sense. And since it's a low-key dinner, it's perfect for talking business."
Owen was probably there to back Amelia.
After she finished talking, she noticed the secretary hesitating and asked, "What's on your mind?"
"Ms. Jones, I heard some gossip."
"Spill it. What's the gossip?"
Susanna felt like she missed out on a ton of stuff when she took that trip to Radiant Valley, including the rumors Kayle and Roman were spreading. If she'd been in Philly, she would've shut them down and given them a piece of her mind.
"I heard Amelia's got a thing for Mr. Arthur Jones and wants to marry into the Jones family. But Mr. Arthur Jones shot her down, so things are tense between him and Mr. Richardson. I think Mr. Richardson's change in the project might be a way to talk marriage with Mr. Arthur Jones."
Amelia's got her sights on Arthur?
Well, that was a curveball.
But it kinda made sense.
Susanna took a sip of her coffee. "It's no shocker Amelia got turned down. Arthur's shot down more people than I can count. With his attitude, he's probably gonna end up a lone wolf. But I gotta get the lowdown on this project myself to see what's really up."
Susanna paused for a moment, then added, "But if this deal's gonna cost Arthur his happiness, then screw it. I ain't doing it."
To her, no business deal was worth more than her family.
Plus, she wasn't hurting for cash. Missing out on this project wouldn't be a big deal.
That evening, Susanna slipped into an evening gown and headed to Amelia's charity dinner.
As soon as she stepped out of the car, a swarm of reporters closed in on her.
"Ms. Jones, we heard your ex-husband's some big shot from Lindwell. Can you spill the beans on who he is?"
"Ms. Jones, before the Jones family found you, how did an orphan like you marry into a rich family in Lindwell? Is there a juicy backstory?"
"Ms. Jones, which wealthy family in Lindwell did you marry into? Can you give us a hint?"
Susanna's face tightened at their questions.
She knew these vultures would be all over her ex-husband's identity. Even with the Kayle and Roman drama hogging the spotlight, their curiosity was insatiable!
After all, the mystery of her ex-husband had been a media obsession for years.
Susanna looked at the reporters and said, "I can only say my ex-husband is from a wealthy family in Lindwell, but I can't name names. Our divorce agreement has a gag order. Sorry, but I can't satisfy your curiosity."
"Ms. Jones, if he's from a rich Lindwell family, why'd he give up custody of the kid to you? Were there any strings attached?"
"Ms. Jones, did you split from your rich ex because he cheated or because he looked down on you for being an orphan?"
These reporters had a knack for sniffing out the dirt.
Susanna thought for a moment and said, "When we divorced, my ex-husband didn't know I was the long-lost daughter of the Jones family. He only knew me as an orphan with no backing. Our divorce had something to do with that."
The reporters lit up. They hadn't expected to hit the nail on the head.
"Ms. Jones, does your ex-husband know now that you're the Jones family heir in Philly?"
Susanna nodded. "Yeah, he knows now."
"Ms. Jones, does your ex-husband regret it now that he knows you're the Jones family heir in Philly?"
"What was his reaction when he found out? Did he try to get back with you?"
After all, marrying into the Jones family, the richest in Philly, would be a jackpot for anyone.
Susanna said calmly, "I can't answer that right now. I signed an agreement with my ex-husband, and I can't talk about these things. I'm sorry."
"Ms. Jones, just a few more words."
"Ms. Jones, which wealthy family in Lindwell does your ex-husband belong to?"
At that moment, a luxury car pulled up outside the hotel, and a pair of eyes inside the car window locked onto Susanna's back.
