Chapter 87 the Ex-Boyfriend
Lucinda sipped the coffee the assistant had brought over and chuckled with a hint of resignation. "Ms. Ophelia, are you sure this won't raise any suspicions?
"In truth, their actions have already demonstrated their sincerity. Insisting on a meeting with their boss like this... to an outsider, it might appear as if I have ulterior motives concerning their boss."
Ophelia laughed and responded, "What's there to fear? You're Lucinda, with countless endorsements waiting in line for you. It wouldn't be too much to ask for a small company's boss to come and meet you."
Lucinda raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. "Is that so? It's a pity that Ms. Ophelia's perfume sales can't even top a small company's perfume sales."
She knew that Ophelia was only using her, and if Ophelia hadn't approached her early on, she wouldn't have agreed to a partnership with them so quickly.
After all, when it came to the perfume business, Ophelia's company simply couldn't hold a candle to the competition.
Facing Lucinda's mockery, Ophelia's smile faded slightly, and anger flashed in her eyes as she glared at Elysia who was standing nearby.
All because of this useless woman. Who knows how much her championship was watered down. Now, thanks to her, Ophelia became the butt of the joke.
"All right, Ms. Ophelia, that would be all for today. I have other matters to attend to," Lucinda said gracefully, putting on her sunglasses and leaving with a sway.
Once Lucinda had left, Ophelia's feigned pleasant demeanor vanished. "Elysia!"
Elysia bit her lip, knowing she was in for another scolding. "Yes, Ophelia."
With a cold stare, Ophelia said, "Did you see? It's because of your incompetence that just anyone feels they can ridicule me."
Elysia recognized her fault and lowered her head even further. It wasn't her decision; she didn't intend for things to unfold this way. She attributed it to Star Rise, the influential perfumer who seemed to thwart her efforts at every opportunity.
If Elysia ever discovered the identity of that perfumer, she wouldn't show mercy. "Ophelia, just trust me one more time. This time, I won't let you down...”
Ophelia cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Enough, I'm tired of hearing the same promises over and over. You'd be better off spending that time working on new perfume formulas. Now get out."
Elysia had the sinking feeling that Ophelia was about to give up on her.
She was determined that she absolutely couldn't be outdone again.
Ophelia rolled her eyes at Elysia behind her back. If it wasn't for needing her to deal with Cecily, she would have sent Elysia packing long ago.
...
On Cecily's end, to show how serious they were about this collaboration, Aurelie always led the team personally in negotiations with Lucinda's side. They had agreed to sign the contract today, but Lucinda kept making excuses, refusing to move ahead unless she could meet with the boss directly.
Aurelie returned to the office visibly upset, and Cecily couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"
"Cecily, I think you were right. Lucinda must have already been in talks with Flores Group. Today, when I went to sign the contract, they insisted on you handling the negotiations personally.
"They mentioned that they wanted you to show up in person before, and I didn't think much of it and refused at the time. I didn't expect them to have a change of heart. Isn't that interesting?"
Aurelie was fuming.
However, Cecily was unexpectedly calm. She got up, poured a glass of water for Aurelie, handed it to her, and said coolly, "Then let's meet. Ophelia wants to know who the real owner behind the company is. I don't mind her knowing. Eventually, we’ll have to face it."
"But I don't think she really wants to sign with us."
"That's okay, let's schedule a time with them," Cecily said nonchalantly. "However, we need to find a new spokesperson soon."
A gleam appeared in Aurelie's eyes. "I do have someone to recommend, and in terms of fans and popularity, they're no less than Lucinda. I think he's a better fit than Lucinda."
Cecily turned her head toward her and asked, "You have a better person in mind and you didn’t say anything sooner? What's his name?"
Aurelie rested her chin in her hand, looking cheekily at Cecily. "Evander Lockwood."
Cecily's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly as she looked down and gave a nonchalant "Oh."
Aurelie watched her with amusement. "What do you think, Cecily?"
Cecily continued to calmly sift through her papers. "It's a possibility, but consider this: he's won best actor awards in the past and he's a triple-threat—acting, singing, you name it. His endorsement fees are likely higher than Lucinda's. If we decide to pursue him, it's best to consult with the PR department regarding his availability."
"Okay, it's decided then. You handle the negotiations this time."
Cecily looked up. "Why should I be the one to go?"
Aurelie leaned in close to Cecily, and winked in a suggestive way. "Because you have a history with him! If not you, then who?"
"What kind of history? We haven't been in touch for eight years."
"Right, right," Aurelie agreed. "He went abroad because of your wedding, and then you went abroad just as he was returning. Now you're back, and he's overseas again."
Aurelie chuckled and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair with a mockingly pitying expression aimed at Cecily.
"Talk about not meant to be, huh? Think about it - back in the day, someone quit school just to chase after you, followed you around college for three years. Did the both of you ever date? Did you dump him?" Aurelie propped her chin on her hands, the very picture of curiosity, as she gazed slowly at Cecily.
Cecily took a deep breath and said, "Aurelie, are you so free at work that you have time to dig up eight-year-old gossip?"
"You know me, I'm the queen of gossip. You two were quite the talk of the town, even I heard about it at the neighboring school. Come on, Cecily, spill the beans."
"You really want to know?"
Aurelie nodded vigorously.
Cecily, seeing Aurelie's eager face, simply said, "We dated."
"Who broke up with whom?"
"I broke up with him."
"How long were you together?"
"One hour."
Aurelie's smile froze, and she stood up. "That's cold. The guy was handsome and rich. Why would you break up with him?"
Cecily was silent.
"Time for a change of subject. This one's a lost cause. I fear they'd run away at the mere mention of your name." Aurelie marveled at how Cecily could have kicked such a dreamy guy to the curb after only an hour. This explained why he eventually went abroad. His fragile little heart must have been shattered.
"Done prying? Then get back to work."
Aurelie rubbed her chin, perplexed. "But why? What was so bad about him?"
Her curiosity was insatiable. If a dreamy guy like that had pursued her, she would have said yes and married him on the spot.
Cecily gave Aurelie a helpless look.
Aurelie pressed her lips together and held her tongue. "I won't ask anymore. I'm leaving."
Aurelie promptly left, but within a minute, she popped her head back in. "We should still go with him for the project. I'll have the PR department confirm his return schedule, and then you can meet with him. It's settled happily then."
Not giving Cecily a chance to object, Aurelie slipped away.
Cecily shook her head in resignation. Her thoughts drifted to Evander Lockwood...
With a job that kept her busy to the brink of exhaustion, her flow of thoughts had been derailed by Aurelie's probing.
Indeed, Cecily was swamped with work, and by the time she finished, almost everyone else in the company had left. She stretched herself and gathered her things, ready to leave the office. She hadn't driven that day, so her only option was to hail a cab.
Once she settled into the taxi, she noticed several missed calls on her phone and immediately called back.
The call connected swiftly. "Cecily, it's me."
"What's going on?"
Sandra's voice lacked its usual assertiveness and tone of disdain. "Come to the hospital, I need to speak with you."
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