Chapter 167 Scandal
Mitchell had only heard her say, "I'll be right there," but he hadn't expected her "right there" to be so literal. Five minutes later, a knock sounded on his hotel room door.
Assuming it was housekeeping, he opened the door without looking and mumbled, "No need for cleaning."
After a moment of silence from the other side, he lifted his head in confusion, only to see Marigold standing with a tray in her hands and a radiant smile. "I wonder if I have the honor to join you for breakfast," she said cheerfully.
Mitchell raised his eyes to see Marigold at the door and blurted out, "How did you get here so fast?" He didn't even notice that the tray she held was one of the hotel's custom service trays.
Marigold just smiled and didn't answer, thinking to herself that when this man was caught off guard, he really seemed clueless. She boldly stepped into the room, teasingly saying, "It's not right to have a beautiful lady standing in the doorway. Or are you hiding someone in here?"
Mitchell furrowed his brow, disliking the intrusion into his private space. "We agreed that..." he began.
"I know, Mitchell," Marigold cut him off. She was tired of his constant reminders that their relationship was just an act to appease their parents. It hurt her pride. Didn't her charm have any effect on him?
"You said to find you at the hotel next to the JK Group offices. I happened to be staying here last night, so I thought I'd bring breakfast and knock," Marigold finally explained, holding out her impromptu breakfast offering.
"Oh, then how did you know which room was mine?" Mitchell asked, clearly relieved.
"That was easy." Marigold paused on purpose, piquing Mitchell's curiosity.
"Hmm?"
"I just knocked on door after door. Everyone knows that the big shots from JK Group always book the top-floor suites. Since you told me to find you at the hotel, I figured you had to be in one of them," Marigold reasoned confidently.
Mitchell couldn't help but laugh at the image of her, a Wall Street powerhouse, going from door to door with breakfast in hand.
Seizing the moment with his good mood, Marigold quickly pulled a folder from her bag. The true reason for her visit was this business proposal she had been working on for several nights.
"Here's the partnership proposal I wrote. Take a look," she said as she handed over the folder.
Mitchell accepted the blue folder but didn't open it right away. Instead, he placed it on the dining table. "Let's have breakfast first, then we'll look at this."
"Works for me. Their breakfast is pretty good; they can't waste it."
Marigold's plate was a classic American breakfast — a sandwich and a cup of coffee.
Mitchell ate his meal silently, so quietly that not even a slurp of his milk was heard. He had the manners and grace of a gentleman even greater than British nobility. He glanced at Marigold's plate and said, "Coffee isn't great for the stomach this early," before returning to his meal.
Marigold beamed, mistaking his comment for concern.
A few minutes later, Mitchell set down his spoon and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I'm done. You finish up. I'll take the proposal with me. If there's news, our company will contact yours."
Marigold quickly stopped him, saying, "Hey, wait. Don't rush off. Hang on for me."
Ignoring her ladylike image, she hurriedly finished her sandwich in just a few bites.
With his blazer in hand and clutching a folder, Mitchell had already reached the door. "Why wait for you? We're not even headed the same way."
However, Marigold announced that the proposal was her work and insisted on accompanying him to the company. If he wasn't satisfied with any aspects, she could amend them on the spot until they were to his liking. Basically, she was determined to secure the collaboration.
After pondering for a moment, Mitchell finally nodded, "Alright, let's go."
Marigold hurried to her feet, leaving her untouched Americano behind. It was unclear whether she had done this genuinely out of a lack of time or because Mitchell had mentioned that drinking coffee in the morning could upset the stomach.
The two exited the hotel and went to the JK Group building next door.
Coincidentally, it was rush hour, and they encountered numerous company employees along the way, all of whom greeted Mitchell with utmost respect. As the pair entered the elevator, the others automatically made way, providing plenty of space; those who hadn't boarded gestured to wait for the next one, knowing full well that no one dared join in and risk being late.
Marigold followed Mitchell to his office, receiving curious looks throughout the journey.
Seeing that Marigold seemed to be clinging to him, Mitchell suggested, "How about I get you a computer to work on? I have a meeting this morning. In about an hour, we can review the content of your proposal."
Marigold eagerly agreed, "No problem, go ahead with your work."
Mitchell had his secretary set up a laptop for Marigold. Then, he rode the elevator to the top floor for a meeting with Matthew and the others.
Willow woke up late today and nearly missed her scheduled arrival, clocking in just in time at nine. Her restless night's sleep was all Jonah's fault; they had eaten spaghetti together, and she even dreamed about him, recalling childhood moments of chasing after him but never quite catching up.
Upon reaching the office that morning, she ducked into the pantry to make herself a coffee, yawning as she waited for the coffee machine to do its job. Two female colleagues entered to get water and promptly greeted Willow, with the one sporting short hair asking, "Willow, did you work late again last night? You seem half asleep."
With a somewhat embarrassed smile, Willow responded, "Not too late, just a bit busy recently."
The other woman, with long hair, also smiled and said, "Jonah himself leads your team, and he's known for his strictness."
Willow smiled without reply. Jonah's high standards and stringent demands were beyond dispute...
The two women didn't press further and continued their conversation, delving into the latest office gossip.
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