Chapter 73
Cleo's face turned really ugly after what I said. I had a comeback for every one of her retorts, and finally she just sat there fuming in silence.
But Jessa got all worked up, still pretending to defend Cleo.
"You're Cleo's sister-in-law after all. This is so rude of you. Cleo and I get along great - we don't need you stirring up trouble."
"I don't have time to stir up trouble between you two. Your relationship is fragile anyway. Once she stops hanging out with you, you'll be out of the picture."
Nola coughed a couple of times, probably hoping I wouldn't offend Cleo, since she's a Morgan after all.
"Cleo's not like that," Jessa said.
"Then what is she like?"
I shot back at her, but she couldn't answer.
The truth is, Cleo only hangs out with her when she's bored, and Jessa only flatters Cleo to climb the social ladder. There's no real friendship - they're just using each other.
Jessa handed over a bottle of water. "Cleo, have some water."
"You'd better tell her you have a boyfriend, or she'll try to set you up with people. I trust my husband, but it's not good if it affects his work."
Cleo was surprised. "You have a boyfriend?"
Watching Jessa explain to her made me sick. She already has someone, so what's the point of sucking up to Cleo?
"Let's go."
Nola and I left. She wasn't in the mood to shop anymore, either. After that scene, I felt pretty lousy too.
So we decided to go eat. Nola said good food should never be wasted.
She finally got to eat what she'd been craving, but my mood had darkened.
Nola kept saying how cool I was when I stood up to them, but she couldn't understand how bitter it really felt.
My husband's sister siding with his unforgettable ex - just hearing that sounds pretty sad.
After we finished eating and were about to head back to the office, Aiden called again, asking me to pick up some documents from Levi's place.
It wasn't far from Levi's company, so I told Nola to go ahead while I walked there to digest my food.
The familiar surroundings made me think back to when I worked here. Back then, I thought Levi had betrayed me, so I quit and wanted a divorce.
But now here we are, living together, though our marriage still feels shaky.
I figured Aiden must have contacted Levi. After picking up the documents, I'd stop by the Morgan mansion to see Celestia.
When I reached his office door, I heard Jessa's voice.
How could she be here so fast? Wasn't she shopping with Cleo?
She came to see Levi in the time it took me to eat?
Are they still in contact?
My heart was pounding. Had Levi and she gotten back together?
"Mr. Morgan, my boyfriend's company is definitely professional in this area. Your company happens to need this kind of partner, so why not work together?"
"Yes, Mr. Morgan, my father always mentions you, saying you're an industry leader. He's always wanted to work with you but never had the chance."
So Jessa wanted Cleo to introduce them? Given her current relationship with Levi, he probably wouldn't meet with her directly.
"Levi, I mean, Mr. Morgan, didn't I borrow twenty million from you before? This partnership could settle that debt. We can negotiate the price."
Jessa wants to repay the debt through a partnership?
Did she actually take my words to heart? Or are they deliberately lowering their terms to get a partnership with Levi first?
"What debt?"
Alaric suddenly questioned Jessa. "You borrowed money from Mr. Morgan? How much?"
"Um, I haven't had a chance to tell you about this yet. The concert tour got cancelled, and there was a penalty fee."
Jessa wasn't telling the truth. She was using the concert tour as a cover when it was actually compensation for the damage she caused me.
"Those are two different things. Our company is very professional. I wanted to work with the Morgan Group because of its reputation, but settling your debt seems wrong."
"Without me, you wouldn't even get to meet Levi."
Alaric pressed her. "You two don't have something going on, do you? When those rumors came out before, you told me you were just friends."
When it comes to relationships, everyone's selfish. Alaric didn't want to be used or cheated on.
"How can you say that? Levi, he didn't mean it. Please consider the partnership."
So Jessa was trying to use Alaric to pay off her debt. Pretty clever scheme.
Business people care about profit. Alaric wasn't willing to make a losing deal.
"Babe, I think you need to explain this to me first. If you needed money, you could have told me, but I can't partner with the Morgan Group this way."
Alaric had a point.
Levi hadn't said a word the whole time, just watching them perform.
"No, don't be like this. We really do want to work with the Morgan Group. Tell Levi about your advantages."
Jessa was barely holding it together. She must have lost control of the situation - her true purpose exposed, and her boyfriend not supporting her.
"What else can I say? You mentioned settling a debt, which is ridiculous. How can we negotiate now? Should I work for him for free?"
"You!"
Jessa didn't know what to say. I couldn't hear any sound - the atmosphere must have been awkward.
If I pushed the door open now, it would be pretty inappropriate.
But standing outside eavesdropping wasn't great either.
"Let's not embarrass ourselves here, okay? You said you had a way to meet Mr. Morgan, but you didn't mention these hidden conditions. Babe, let's go back and talk this through. Let's not bother Mr. Morgan anymore."
I wondered how Levi felt watching the woman he once liked come to him for business with another man.
"Let's go, okay?"
Jessa didn't know what to do either. With Levi staying silent, they had no choice but to leave awkwardly.
I was about to hide in the break room to avoid running into Jessa, but it was too late. The door opened before I could leave.
"Blair..."
Jessa said my name. She looked terrible, surprised to see me there.
I ignored her and walked past them into Levi's office.
I closed the door. Levi had his head down, his eyes unfocused.
"Grandpa asked me to pick up some documents."
Levi pointed to the folder on his desk without saying anything.
"The other day you stood up to her, but today you gave her face. You're quite the good brother."
I guess I felt hurt. I thought Levi wouldn't deal with Cleo anymore, but I forgot that family ties are hard to break.
Even though Cleo treats me badly, when she asks Levi for help, it's probably hard for him to refuse.
But women get jealous, too. If he thought more about what I'm going through, maybe he wouldn't meet with Jessa anymore.
"Not seeing her might be the better choice."
Levi suddenly said this. Who was he talking about?
I saw him close his eyes and knew he was upset. Looks like Jessa showing up with her boyfriend still bothered him.