Chapter 15 So Incredibly Wealthy

Back at the company, Thomas and James weren't around, and only Lily was sprawled asleep at her desk.

Yvonne opened the still-warm takeout and started eating, but tears fell as she ate.

Her memories were still stuck in the moment she saw Anthony.

Three years had passed, and Anthony had become even more successful and charming. The way he looked at her was full of deep affection, but he would never belong to her again...

After finishing the food, Yvonne quickly tidied up and started drawing the layout for Ryan's villa.

Thomas and James arrived at the office on time. Both of them praised Yvonne for how she confronted Susan.

Yvonne smiled awkwardly and remained silent.

Since the conflict had escalated, Yvonne had prepared herself to take action whenever Susan provoked her.

However, the following days remained calm. Lily mentioned that Susan had been sent to Fort Worth for training.

Grace also didn't show up at the company for several days, making Yvonne's days particularly peaceful.

During these days, Grandma Harper's funeral caused a sensation throughout Winslow.

Charles had an unseemly personal life, but he had great talent in business. Years of steady work had already placed the Harper Group at the pinnacle of the Winslow business district.

Elijah didn't join the Harper Group after graduating college.

The most profitable new energy company under the Harper Group belongs to Elijah, who founded and nurtured it.

Elijah excels in handling business disputes and, after several years of practice, has also accumulated a considerable network in the business circles. His law firm, 'WIN', has become an aspiration for many law students.

The funeral of the elderly lady stirred up the entire Winslow, yet there were no photos circulating in the media.

Yvonne even searched online to see if Elijah was excessively grieving, but she couldn't find any clues.

Yvonne focused all her thoughts on the design of the villa renovation plans, and on Thursday after work, she sent all the drawings to Ryan.

Ryan replied instantly on WhatsApp, saying "Alright," and added that he didn't want her to save money on anything, insisting her on using the best materials.

Mr. Winston was so generous that Yvonne didn't dare to spend too much of his money. She pulled out the prepared budget document from her computer, made some additions, and sent it to Ryan.

Ryan's reply on WhatsApp came quickly, saying, "No problem, we can sign the formal contract tomorrow."

"Mr. Winston, do you have time now? I want to bring the contract to meet you," Yvonne asked in a voice message, worrying that any delay might cause unforeseen circumstances.

"Sure, come over," Ryan readily responded and sent the location.

Yvonne went back to her rented house first, changed her clothes, put on some makeup, and then drove to the second-floor private room of the Zero Club.

The private room was filled with smoke, with Ryan holding a woman in red, drinking together.

"Mr. Winston, more drinks! Let's make it a total of six!" A woman in black beside them handed a newly filled glass to Ryan.

Ryan put down his empty glass and looked up to see Yvonne. He smiled and shouted, "Here you are!"

"Mr. Winston, did I disturb you?" Yvonne stood at the door, feeling embarrassed.

She had knocked on the door just now, and it was Ryan who asked her to come in.

"Not at all," Ryan said, signaling the two women to leave with his eyes. They reluctantly left the private room.

Ryan reached out with his long arm and closed the door to the room, smiling at Yvonne. "Where is the contract? I'll sign it right away."

This arrogant fool was indeed hard to find, but Yvonne felt that things were not so simple.

"Ryan, after signing the contract, are there any additional conditions?" Yvonne asked suspiciously.

Ryan chuckled, "My gaming company is currently in a crucial stage of development and urgently needs a large amount of funding. My dad thinks my personal life is too casual, so he made it clear that he won't invest a penny in my company unless I bring a proper girlfriend home."

Yvonne was half-believing, half-doubting. "You have so many women, why would I catch your eye?"

"I do have many women outside, but they're not suitable for a serious relationship. Like the one you saw at CC Bar the other day, I only slept with her once, and she lied about being pregnant in order to secure her position," Ryan explained patiently.

"You, on the other hand, are different. You have no ulterior motives toward me, and I have none toward you. The key is that we are recognized as potential partners by our parents. Bringing you home will save a lot of trouble."

"Fair enough."

"Deal." Yvonne rubbed her chest and reached out her right hand to meet Ryan's for a handshake. "Tell me how to cooperate. I can come to your house every week, have meals with your parents, and give them gifts. I'll make sure to do it all."

"Come to my house tomorrow evening, show your face, and if necessary, have a meal. You can leave without having to carry anything." Ryan was thrilled.

Yvonne was truly reliable!

Yvonne let out a sigh, took out the contract and a pen, and said, "Take a good look and then sign it. Within three working days after signing, the company will send a construction team to start the work. You'll need to make a 20% advance payment for the renovation."

"It's just money!" Ryan picked up the pen and swiftly wrote his name on the contract. "Anything that money can solve is not a problem!"

"You're simply too rich!" Yvonne praised sincerely.

Yvonne was ecstatic, holding the $2.28 million renovation contract.

With the commission alone, she would receive a little over $100,000.

Yvonne got up to leave, and Ryan didn't stop her but reminded her, "Come to my house tomorrow evening. Don't put on heavy makeup and don't reveal too much cleavage or leg. Just wear what you wore to CC Bar."

"Okay."

On the way back to her rented apartment, Yvonne's mood was indescribably good.

Will Susan be angry or happy when she finds out about landing such a big deal?

Yvonne's phone rang, and it was Elijah, with whom she hadn't been in contact for several days.

"Mr. Harper..." Yvonne was in a good mood, and her voice sounded much gentler.

"Send my car to Rhode Hills." Elijah's voice was still somewhat husky.

Yvonne noticed a traffic jam ahead. "I parked your car in the residential area. I'm currently stuck on the road, and I'll get to your place in about thirty minutes."

"No rush." Elijah's tone trailed off softly.

"Alright, I'll hang up for now." Yvonne took the initiative to end the call.

After receiving Ryan's project, Yvonne suddenly became clear-headed, no longer obsessing over the renovation of Harper Mansion.

Lately, she didn't feel like pleasing Elijah so much.

However, Elijah on the other end seemed a little absent-minded.

Every time he spoke on the phone with Yvonne, she seemed to want to say something that would throw him off balance, but unfortunately, he didn't hear it.

Because of the grandmother's funeral, he hadn't seen Yvonne for four days.

For some reason, these past few days, his mind was filled with thoughts of that alluring woman.

He had always been calm, but he didn't know what went wrong. He often thought of that woman named Yvonne and their passionate moments in bed.

Forty minutes later, Yvonne called to say that she had already parked the car in the underground parking lot of Rhode Hills and asked him to come downstairs to get the keys.

He clenched his phone and hesitated for a moment. "Come upstairs."

Yvonne agreed without hesitation.

Soon, someone knocked on the door.

The sound was like a little hook, latching onto Elijah's heart.

Elijah turned the doorknob and pulled the woman outside the door into the room.

Before Yvonne's legs could steady, Elijah sealed her lips with a kiss.

The darkness outside had completely fallen, leaving only a wall lamp illuminating the room. The alternating light and shadow made Elijah act even more recklessly.

Both of them had been thirsty for days, and now they finally had a taste.

When Elijah's kiss landed, Yvonne wanted to refuse, but her body surrendered first.

This time, Elijah was in a hurry and didn't even enter the bedroom but still proactively used a condom.

Rubbing her sore waist, Yvonne got up from the couch and put the car keys on the coffee table.

"Are you leaving?" Elijah had already dressed himself, his expression calm as if nothing had happened.

"If I don't leave, do I have to spend the night with you?" Yvonne felt annoyed and slowly stood up.

Every time they were done, Elijah would become distant and aloof.

She had watched a talk show once, where a psychologist said that after passion, a man should embrace the woman and say some loving words to make her feel pleasure.

But none of that worked with Elijah.

Before, she could still use the excuse of the renovation at the Harper Mansion to stay the night, but now with the Harper family in mourning and Elijah's indifferent attitude, she couldn't see any chance of bringing up that possibility.

If they sleep, they sleep. Adult relationships have no need to worry about owing or not owing anything.

Yvonne picked up her coat. She was about to leave when she suddenly asked, "Mr. Harper, when will you start renovating the east wing of your old mansion?"

"That's none of your concern." Elijah remained cold.

Yvonne intentionally sneered as she walked away.

The door closed, and the sound of Yvonne's high heels gradually faded away, leaving Elijah feeling empty in his heart.

He lit a cigarette, took only one puff, and watched as it burned down to nothing between his fingers.

Yvonne returned to her rented place and slept particularly well that night.

She was woken up by a call from the landlord demanding the rent.

The landlord gave her an ultimatum: she had to settle it by next Monday; otherwise, she would have to move out!

The place she rented wasn't big, but it was in a good neighborhood with good facilities. Excluding property fees, the yearly rent was $18,000.

Right now, when she added up the money in all her bank cards, she was still short $4,000.

Yvonne lay on the bed, racking her brain on where to find $4,000. To be precise, she needed to get at least $5,000 because she still needed to keep $1,000 for living expenses.

After considering it for a while, she thought of Elijah.

Elijah had offered her $10,000 for that simultaneous interpretation job, but at that time, her brain must have malfunctioned, and she refused.

Perhaps she really should follow Elijah's advice and settle things as they are.

Talking about money matters was really embarrassing, so she decided to send a WhatsApp message to Elijah: [Mr. Harper, can you still give me the payment for that simultaneous interpretation job?]

Yvonne thought Elijah would ignore her, but she didn't expect him to reply instantly: [Didn't you refuse to accept it that day?]

Yvonne: [If I don't pay the rent, I'll end up sleeping on the streets!]

There was also a pitiful expression bundled with her message.

Soon, Elijah sent a transfer of ten thousand dollars.

Yvonne thought she had read it wrong. She widened her eyes and looked again. It was indeed ten thousand dollars.

Afraid that he might change his mind, Yvonne quickly clicked to accept and replied with a "Thank you."

Elijah didn't reply again.

After transferring the money from WhatsApp to her bank card, Yvonne transferred eighteen thousand dollars to the landlord. Immediately, the landlord called to confirm the receipt.

Yvonne let out a long sigh of relief, but just as she put down her phone, it started ringing again.