Chapter 21 Evelyn's Stand-in
"M-Mr. Wellington, I can't go on!"
The hotel floors were already high, with many steps. By the time Bart climbed to the eighth floor, he was out of breath, his legs trembling, and about to kneel.
"A man should never easily give up. Only two more floors left. Hurry up," Edward urged while climbing up, his face unchanged.
This year, he was 30, two years older than Bart. But because of his early service in the peacekeeping forces and his highly disciplined fitness and boxing training after leaving the army, his physical fitness far exceeded that of an average person.
He could still climb another twenty floors. Back in the army, he would do at least thirty laps during a night run!
When they finally reached the 40th floor, Bart sat on the steps, gasping for breath. Edward looked at him coldly, shaking his head in anger.
"Mr. Wellington, hello."
Edward turned around at the sound and saw a man with a formal smile walking towards them. He had a gentle and handsome face with clear eyes. He was the kind of cute guy that women often talked about. It was hard to guess his age.
"I'm William Flynn, Ms. Taylor's secretary. She has been waiting for you for a while. Please follow me."
He thought, 'Listen! Is he complaining that I climbed the stairs too slowly?'
Edward held his anger inside, and his face darkened slightly. "I ran out of energy without an elevator. Please ask Ms. Taylor to be more considerate."
William didn't say anything. He just turned around and walked ahead without caring about them.
Such rudeness!
Bart recovered. At that moment, he couldn't bear it anymore and was about to explode, but Edward stopped him.
"Wait for me here," Edward said.
Edward followed William and walked to the door of the general manager's office.
He took a deep breath.
Somehow, he felt nervous facing Evelyn, whom he was about to meet, despite being accustomed to big scenes.
After a knock on the door, a female voice came from inside.
"Please come in."
William opened the door and gestured for them to enter.
Edward held his breath, straightened his back, and walked into the office with long strides.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Evelyn sat in front of a computer screen, eating chocolate and watching the scene with interest.
A young woman sat behind a clean desk, her clothes elegant and her long hair flowing. She appeared delicate.
Edward thought, 'Is she the Evelyn who has caused me so much trouble?' He felt a bit disappointed.
The Evelyn he had imagined was not like this. She lacked the elegance of a wealthy heiress and the arrogance of a manager.
"Mr. Wellington, you must be tired. Please have a seat."
Evelyn gave instructions through her Bluetooth earpiece, and her "puppet" followed suit. However, she lacked Evelyn's composure and had a somewhat frozen expression.
Edward sat on the sofa and casually looked around.
The office was elegantly decorated. A black grand piano stood in the corner. The natural marble coffee table was trendy, and the vintage leather sofa exuded dignity.
But what attracted him the most was a framed oil painting hung behind Evelyn.
The oil painting depicted a group of wolves ready to hunt at any moment.
"It's really nice," Edward couldn't help but sigh.
Evelyn's mouth, still chewing on chocolate, froze for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat.
In her impression, this was the first time Edward had praised her.
As his wife for three years, she took care of his daily life. No matter how much effort she put in, she could never earn his appreciation.
But she didn't expect to hear it this time.
Unfortunately, she no longer cared.
"Mr. Wellington, do you like this painting?" Evelyn asked, smiling ambiguously.
"Not bad," Edward praised concisely.
"If you like it, you can take it with you when you leave. Mr. Wellington, consider it a gift from me."
"No need. This painting has a distinct style and majestic aura. It must be a masterpiece. I won't take something you like," Edward refused indifferently.
Evelyn burst into laughter, and her puppet could only laugh along.
Edward's brow furrowed abruptly.
"Mr. Wellington, thank you for your compliment, but you don't have to feel embarrassed. I can paint ten paintings like this in a day. It's not a big deal if you take it," Evelyn taunted with a laugh. Edward felt somewhat embarrassed but suppressed his anger.
"Mr. Wellington, you have come three times and finally have the chance to meet me. It would help if you were not here to see the oil paintings. Let's get straight to the point," Evelyn said directly, not interested in small talk.
"To be honest, I am here for the Adams Group. Ms. Taylor, I hope you can stop suppressing the Adams Group. We can negotiate the terms," Edward's voice was deep, and his gaze was imposing. "Ms. Taylor, if you collaborate with the Wellington Group in Mugden, you will definitely benefit greatly in the future."
"Mr. Wellington, do you call my actions suppression?" Evelyn laughed. "I think it's just exposure. I am exposing the unethical practices of profit-driven businesses, sounding an alarm for our industry so that no one follows in our hotel's footsteps, buying junk and having no means of complaint."
"During the production process, problems may arise. Many century-old automobile brands have had cases of recalls due to various issues," Edward continued to defend the Adams Group. "Ms. Taylor, you can contact the manufacturer to return or exchange the products, but there is no need to spread such negative information to tarnish the image of the Adams Group."
"You are using KnightSpear Group's influence to crush a medium-sized enterprise. You have no mercy. In the future, at least in Mugden, no one will dare to collaborate with KnightSpear Group," Evelyn coldly narrowed her beautiful eyes and crushed the chocolate in her hand.
She thought, 'Edward is telling me that if I don't let go of the Adams Group, KnightSpear Group's development in Mugden will hinder the Wellington Group. Bastard! How dare he threaten me? Does he think I am easily scared?'
"Mr. Wellington, your dedication and hard work for your loved one, your fiancee, truly move me. But these are two separate matters. Business and personal affairs should not be mixed. Mr. Wellington, you keep coming to me because of love. Even if you are rejected, you can grit your teeth and endure. But I cannot show mercy because of your great love, even if you are a powerful figure in Mugden," Evelyn's words made Edward feel angry, but he couldn't argue.
He never dealt with troubles personally. What he was doing now was indeed for Nicole.
Evelyn looked at the stiff Edward on the screen, his face as cold as frost, and she secretly felt pleased.
"Given the circumstances, it seems like there's nothing more to discuss," Edward said, standing up decisively. Even though the negotiation had failed, his inherent pride prevented him from showing any signs of defeat. He maintained his upright posture, displaying the unwavering resilience of a soldier.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly heard a voice from behind.
"Ms. Taylor, I was wrong! I acted impulsively and made a mistake! Please... please forgive me just this once! If this gets out, I won't be able to make a living in the entire Mugden!"
"Eilie Furniture approached me originally, promising me an opportunity to become rich! The ideas and plans were all Mr. Adams'! I thought all mattresses were the same, so I didn't know too much about them, and that's how he tricked me!"
Edward turned back in astonishment. His mind felt as if a thunderbolt had struck it, and his ears rang loudly!
After Evelyn finished playing the recording, she elegantly crossed her legs and looked at Edward with a complex and embarrassed expression.
It was truly refreshing!
"If it's a good small to medium-sized company, KnightSpear Group is willing to help them develop. But suppose it's a bad apple that has affected KnightSpear Group's interests. In that case, I am willing to take the initiative and eliminate the threat without any tolerance," Evelyn said with a noble and proud smile. "Mr. Wellington, I have taken note of your words. There's no use in talking too much. We will see each other again in the business world."
Edward didn't know how he walked out of the office. He could only feel every nerve in his body trembling and a coldness engulfing him as if he were trapped in an ice chamber.
"Mr. Wellington! How did it go? Did Evelyn give you a hard time? Did she agree to your request? Mr. Wellington?" Bart hurriedly approached and asked, sensing Edward's poor mood.
"I'm fine. Let's discuss it when we get back."
Edward walked forward with heavy steps. His head began to ache again, but that didn't stop him from recalling every word Evelyn had said.
At that moment, when the recording was played, he felt like a joke.
He had believed that the Adams Group was innocent. He thought KnightSpear Group was attacking it because of the leaked information, indirectly suppressing the Wellington Group.
But in the end, he was unable to distinguish right from wrong and ended up helping the bad guys!
Edward forcefully loosened his Windsor knot, but this did nothing to ease his breathing.
Suddenly, he heard familiar footsteps behind him.
Tap, tap, tap... sharp, steady, elegant, and decisive.
Was it Lily?!
Edward's heart skipped a beat, and he turned abruptly.
However, the corridor was empty.
