Chapter 69: Bomb Detonation
James immediately covered the phone, his face cold as he looked at Amelia who had entered uninvited and snapped harshly, "Get out!"
Amelia was shocked by James's authoritative anger. For the first time between them, she found herself in a passive position, controlled by him.
Before her brain could react, her legs had obediently stepped back, and she actually retreated outside the door.
Her hand still gripping the door handle, she stepped back, and the door closed again as she pulled it.
Only after leaving did Amelia realize what had happened.
What just happened?
James had yelled at her?
How dare he?
Furious, she raised her hand to open the door and go back in.
A soft click.
Brought Amelia back to her senses.
Her hand on the door handle slowly released.
Why should she be angry?
She should be happy.
James had just been on the phone with Mia.
If she had gone in and he'd remained calm and collected, that's when she should have been upset.
The bigger his emotional reaction, the more it proved how ridiculous his so-called "friend" claim was.
If he had nothing to hide, why would he panic like that?
......
James's office was separated from the outside by some distance. They could only see that Amelia enjoyed her unique privilege of being able to enter James's office directly without knocking.
Today, just as she was about to enter, she voluntarily came back out.
Amelia, holding coffee with a perfect smile, turned around and walked toward Aaron's desk.
"Mr. Smith is on a call. I have to meet a client in a bit, so please take this coffee in for me later."
"Sure, Ms. Martinez."
No wonder James, who usually kept his distance from women, treated her differently.
Amelia was not only beautiful but also capable at work, and knew how to handle situations with grace.
......
Only after locking the door did James let out a long breath and remove his hand from the phone.
Mia's confused voice came through, "James?"
"I'm here."
James's voice softened again.
"What just happened?"
Although he had covered the phone, his voice had been too loud just now, and Mia on the other end of the line had still heard it.
"Nothing, someone came in and interrupted my call with you."
Mia, sitting on the sofa knitting a hat, paused.
James wasn't like this before.
He always put work first.
She rarely called him during work hours, and when she occasionally did, it was mostly Robert who answered.
This was the first time he had put her before work.
"Work is important. I'm fine at home, focus on your work."
Mia didn't want to delay his work and was about to hang up.
But James wouldn't hang up.
All his topics revolved around her.
First asking if the baby was being good today.
Then asking what she was planning to eat for lunch.
When she got annoyed, she just said, "Aren't you being annoying? I'm hanging up."
Then she cut off the call directly.
But after hanging up, the corners of her lips still couldn't help but curve up slightly.
He was changing, and she could feel it.
Everything was developing in a good direction, wasn't it?
Maybe she really had made the right choice.
Mia touched her belly.
After a moment, she withdrew her hand and continued knitting the little hat for the baby.
......
At the Smith Group, after the call ended, the tenderness in his eyes faded and his face darkened.
He needed to find an appropriate opportunity soon to tell Mia about Amelia joining the company.
Tossing his phone aside, James pressed Aaron's intercom, "Come in."
Aaron immediately picked up the coffee from the warming pad and headed to the office.
"Mr. Smith, this is the coffee Ms. Martinez specially made for you."
James looked up at Aaron, "Aaron, if you need others to make your coffee, should I have others do your other work too?"
He was giving Aaron a warning.
But still left Amelia some dignity.
"Mr. Smith, I—"
Aaron wanted to explain, but meeting James's eyes, he immediately admitted his mistake: "Mr. Smith, it won't happen again."
"Call the marketing department manager in."
"Yes."
Aaron left.
But he didn't understand James's real meaning, only thinking that he had made the woman he liked do extra work.
Even though she had volunteered to do it.
......
Amelia returned to the marketing department and sat down in her office, but didn't immediately handle work. Her mind flashed back to James's cold rebuke just now.
It was a side of him she had never seen before.
She had been excellent in all aspects since childhood, and few people could catch her eye.
Before she went abroad, the James she knew only had one thing going for him—a flawless handsome face. He couldn't catch her eye at all.
All the glory of the Smith Family fell on Uri.
So she and Uri were the couple everyone assumed would be together, until Uri had his accident.
She went abroad.
Her impression of James remained stuck four years ago.
After returning home, he hadn't changed much in front of her.
If she hadn't joined the Smith Group, she wouldn't have known that this man who had never caught her eye actually had a charm that could make her heart flutter.
Coming to the Smith Group this time wasn't a waste.
Killing two birds with one stone.
......
Receiving Aaron's intercom call, the bit of dissatisfaction in her heart also dissipated, and she appeared on the 32nd floor all smiles.
James calling her up at this time was simply to explain why he had treated her that way just now.
She still didn't knock, directly pushing the door open and acting as if nothing had happened, "James, how was the coffee?"
She appeared particularly gracious.
The door closed behind her, her smoky eyes carrying a hook as she looked at James.
Meeting a face that was still cold and stern, Amelia froze.
"What's wrong, did you fight with Mia?"
The hook in her eyes remained, falling on James as she took steps toward him.
Just as she stepped forward, she heard James suddenly say coldly, "Amelia, this is the last time."
"What?"
Amelia's steps halted, stunned. What did he mean?
"This is a company, and you are my subordinate."
James stopped there.
Amelia was a smart person and would naturally understand his meaning.
He knew she was proud, so he left her some room and didn't directly tell Aaron.
Looking at James, his words and actions could only be summed up in one phrase in her eyes: trying to cover up the truth.
She looked at James, who was making it clear that work and personal matters should be separate, and cooperatively smiled and replied, "Okay, I understand."
"I didn't think it through. It won't happen again."
Seeing he didn't respond, Amelia half-jokingly said, "Mr. Smith, should I knock on the door before coming in next time?"
James: "...Just be more careful in the future."
Seeing him lower his head to handle work, Amelia turned and left.
Back in her own office, her face also darkened.
She picked up her phone and called Mabel, who was currently in hot water, getting straight to the point: "Help me with something. If you do this well, I'll send you abroad."
It was time for this ticking time bomb at the Smith Group to explode.