Chapter 210 Steven Trusts Nora
Olivia picked up her phone and called Alton. His voice was low and very serious. "This is a major project. If it gets leaked, the losses for both companies could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. This is extremely serious."
Olivia gasped. "Steven was actually in charge of such an important project?"
Alton didn't spell it out completely, only saying, "The project is handled by a team, and Steven is part of that team. The leak came from his end, so do you think he can get away with it?"
Olivia was speechless for a moment.
Alton asked her, "Are you feeling better?"
He was referring to the flu incident.
"I'm fine now." Olivia felt a bit uncomfortable and replied coldly, "I'm hanging up."
"Wait."
Olivia paused. "What?"
"Want to have dinner together tomorrow night?"
"I'm busy." Olivia hung up, then turned to Nora and said, "Alton said this is a major project. Now that it's leaked, the loss is several hundred million dollars. Steven is one of the people responsible for this project."
After hearing this, Nora's hatred for Mr. Hayes was almost burning inside her.
So he had been lurking around her all along to set up a long game, to frame Steven with one fatal blow.
Would this get Steven fired? Or even sent to prison?
Nora's heart was extremely uneasy. "I've ruined Steven, Olivia. What should I do..."
They say marrying the wrong woman can destroy a man's future.
She was that foolish woman who not only brought no luck but also ruined his career.
"Don't worry too much. Mr. Bridges said York Development Group has sent people to investigate and won't just convict anyone randomly. No news is good news right now. Let's just wait and see how things develop."
Nora nodded with a pale face.
The next day, Nora started following news about the York Development Group and Bennett Group project on social media.
The latest updates had been blocked. Only the previous trending posts remained. She scrolled through them but found no new developments.
Alton called Steven and asked, "Do you think Nora did it?"
"Probably not her." Steven was swamped at York Development Group, but took a moment to answer the call.
Alton was very surprised. "You trust her that much?"
"She's pretty dumb." Steven only said this one sentence.
"Then why did you have me test her?"
Steven looked up at the traffic outside the floor-to-ceiling window, his expression indifferent. "I wanted to teach her a lesson; otherwise, she'll never learn to tell good from bad."
Let her see Andrew's true colors, and naturally, she won't get close to him anymore.
"You really are something..." Alton thought Steven's thinking was too deep.
"Growth requires paying a price." Steven hoped Nora could learn a lesson from this incident.
Nine o'clock in the evening.
Nora had been busy at the company all day but still couldn't stop worrying about Steven.
She wanted to call him but was afraid of disturbing him, and even more afraid he'd find her annoying.
Olivia took the documents from her hands. "Alright, you should head home now. Go rest. I'll stay and work a bit longer."
"Olivia, thank you so much." Nora really had no heart to continue working and was feeling very down.
"It's fine. My place is close to the office. You go ahead."
"Okay." Nora picked up her bag with a listless expression and walked out of Harman Tower.
The business district at night was like an empty city.
It was drizzling outside, the fine rain matching her gloomy mood.
Nora frowned, looking dejectedly at the rainy night.
Without an umbrella, she was about to walk into the rain.
Suddenly, a black umbrella appeared over her head.
She turned around.
Andrew stood in the quiet night, his slender hand holding the umbrella, his smile carrying a fatal charm with a hint of cynicism.
Nora narrowed her eyes. She hadn't gone looking for him, yet he showed up on his own.
"I figured you'd really want to see me right now," Andrew spoke with a smile, not a trace of guilt in his eyes.
Nora looked at him coldly. "Want to chat?"
"Sure." Andrew agreed and walked into a nearby convenience store.
Nora followed him in. He bought two servings of meatballs at the checkout. "I'm hungry, getting something to fill my stomach."
The two leaned against the high table in the convenience store, rain sounds continuing outside.
Andrew pushed one serving of fish balls toward her. "Want ketchup or sweet chili sauce?"
"Neither." Nora didn't want to touch anything from him.
Andrew ate his own at a leisurely pace. The scene was quiet, both waiting for the other to speak first.
"Mr. Hayes is a fake identity, isn't it?" Nora spoke first.
Andrew smiled slightly. "Yes."
"You work at York Development Group, right?"
"That's right." He didn't deny it either.
"You and my husband Steven are competitors, aren't you?"
Andrew raised an eyebrow, half-smiling. "Didn't you two already register for divorce? How is he still your husband?"
Nora frowned slightly. "You even know about that?"
"What's strange about knowing some information about an opponent?" Andrew asked back, a deep smile in his eyes.
He admitted everything.
Nora's hands tightened slightly. "How can you be so cruel?"
"I'm cruel?" Andrew found it amusing. "How am I cruel?"
"The first time we met, you had an allergic reaction, and I saved you. Later at Cloud Mountain, your leg was cut by a glass bottle, and I saved you then, too. I saved you twice, and this is how you repay my kindness?" Nora really couldn't understand. She had saved him twice. Even if he wanted to harm her, considering these two life-saving favors, shouldn't he feel at least a little guilty? But Andrew felt no guilt at all.
Not only did he feel no guilt, but he even thought he was right. He bit into a meatball, his tone light. "Nora, you've got it wrong. Actually, I saved you."
Nora laughed coldly. "You saved me? You went to my house and took Steven's documents from the study—that's saving me?"
Andrew caught the implication in her words and smiled. "Are you recording this?"
Nora's expression changed. He actually noticed.
"I didn't do that," Andrew said this on purpose, smiling with malicious intent.
This was his true face.
Nora's expression turned cold, and she kicked him directly in the shin.
Andrew lost his balance, wincing in pain as he bent down to hold his leg. "You woman!"
Nora turned and walked out of the convenience store. Since she couldn't get evidence on the recording, she didn't plan to continue entangling with him. As she left, she casually took Andrew's umbrella.
"...Hey!" Andrew chased after her.
The rain was heavier now. He grabbed her hand, a hint of guilt in his eyes. "I really did it for your own good."
"For my own good?" Nora glared at him, "For my own good means making me bear such a huge blame?"
Andrew paused, gripping her hand tighter. "Just let it be. Take this opportunity to divorce Steven and don't get back together with him."
Nora laughed coldly. "After framing me, you still want to drive a wedge between Steven and me?"