Chapter 642 Earthquake
Liam introduced Harold to his partners but didn't mention he was his son-in-law.
"Wow, you look so distinguished!" one partner said.
"You're too kind," Harold replied.
Liam's cold shoulder towards Harold was noticed by either Harold or the partner.
After some chit-chat, the partner's view of Harold started to shift.
Harold stayed cool and collected.
After some small talk, they sat down to eat.
They hit up a fancy hotel, and the food was top-notch. While eating, Harold's mind wandered to Desiree.
He knew she'd been dealing with morning sickness lately and usually needed reminders to eat. He wondered if she was taking care of herself.
Harold frowned a bit and sneakily pulled out his phone under the table to text Desiree.
She replied pretty quickly.
They started chatting.
Before he knew it, Harold had a smile on his face.
Liam noticed everything, saw the contact name on Harold's phone, and snorted.
Liam still didn't take Harold seriously since he hadn't seen him in action.
But when the partner asked about the project, his opinion started to change.
"So, I heard your company's just starting out, backed by the Brown Group, right?" the partner asked.
Harold nodded.
The partner pressed on, "So, your confidence comes from that?"
"We can go over the details. Maybe you'd be willing to give me fifteen minutes?" Harold sent his last message to Desiree, turned off his phone, and pulled out the proposal he had prepped.
He had done his homework before coming to Emerald City.
In the next fifteen minutes, Harold showed what he was made of.
Liam, who had been indifferent, started to get interested.
"Mr. Sandvik, you've found me a great partner!" The partner's excited voice snapped Liam back to reality. He paused and looked at Harold with a complicated expression.
On the way back to the hotel, Liam stopped Harold, still sounding indifferent, "I admit your business skills are impressive. I don't get why someone like you is just an assistant. But you're still not up to my standards."
"I know, and I said I'd work hard," Harold replied calmly, accepting everything without a hint of resentment.
Liam was momentarily speechless, feeling like his words were pointless.
After sealing the deal, it was time to sign the contract and check out the land for the building.
Since Liam had set up the partnership, he tagged along.
Harold's phone was dead, so he left it at the hotel, missing Desiree's call.
Back at the office, Desiree frowned as she heard the busy signal again, a sense of foreboding welling up inside her, pushing her to keep calling.
She tried again.
But no luck; Harold didn't pick up.
"What is he doing, not even answering my calls? It's driving me nuts." Desiree scrolled to a video she had seen earlier.
It was a warning video, saying there might be a magnitude 4 to 5 earthquake in Emerald City in the next couple of days.
The secretary tried to comfort her, "Ms. Sandvik, don't worry too much. Maybe the video is just a prank?"
Desiree said, "I can't shake this uneasy feeling."
"Well, you can't reach Mr. Lewis right now. Maybe there's someone else who can get in touch with him."
Desiree's eyes lit up.
Why didn't she think of that? She could call Liam!
She quickly dialed Liam's number, worried about his safety too.
As the call connected, she was on edge, praying nothing bad had happened.
Thankfully, the call went through.
"Hello, the signal here isn't great," Liam's voice came faintly through the phone.
Not knowing where they were, they experienced frequent signal cuts.
Desiree grew more anxious, raising her voice, "Dad, where are you? I saw a video saying there might be an earthquake there!"
"What? I can't hear you."
"I said there might be an earthquake there. It's best not to go out!" Desiree shouted.
Just as she finished, the call, which had been cutting out, suddenly became clear. Before she could say anything else, she heard Harold's anxious voice on the other end.
"There's an earthquake, Mr. Sandvik; get out!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the call disconnected.
Desiree collapsed into her chair, her hands and feet cold, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
The secretary called her several times, "Ms. Sandvik, calm down. Maybe they're okay."
"When the call disconnected, there wasn't too much noise, which means it wasn't a very strong earthquake. They could very well be safe."
Hearing this, Desiree's hope was reignited.
The secretary was right.
Things hadn't reached the worst-case scenario yet. Any negative thoughts before getting news were just imagination.
She quickly called Tessa, explained the situation, and Tessa, upon learning that there had been an earthquake in Emerald City, became very anxious.
Desiree booked a flight, and she and Tessa rushed to Emerald City overnight.
After getting off the plane and making various inquiries, they finally learned that Liam and Harold were in the hospital.
Seeing Harold, Desiree asked, "Harold, are you okay? How's Dad?"
Desiree threw herself into Harold's arms, her face covered in tears. Before coming, she had prepared for the worst, thinking she might never see Harold again.
Now, seeing Harold, an overwhelming sense of relief and joy washed over her, and she couldn't stop crying.
Harold wiped her tears away, looking down without saying anything.
Sensing his silence, Desiree suddenly stiffened, took a step back, and slowly pulled herself out of his arms. "What happened to my dad?"
Just as Harold was about to speak, Tessa's voice came from the side, "Doctor, is the person inside Liam?"
Desiree's face instantly turned pale.
Through the crack in the hospital room door, she saw the middle-aged man lying on the bed, his graying temples piercing her heart, making her instantly believe it was Liam.
The nurse stopped her and said, "Ma'am, are you a family member of the patient? You can't just barge in!"
Ignoring the nurse's attempts to stop her, Desiree rushed to Liam's bedside, staring blankly at his back.
In the past, Desiree always thought Liam was very stubborn, never changing his old-fashioned ideas over the years.
However, seeing Liam's hunched back and slightly protruding shoulder blades, she was acutely reminded that her father was no longer young.
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