Chapter 228

Hazel’s POV

I stared at the closed door, anxiety spreading wildly within me. Fred’s face was terrifyingly ugly; he was breathing heavily, completely ignoring etiquette, not even knocking before dragging me inside.

“Let’s go, let’s go say hello.” Fred dragged me forcefully, his tone sounding as if he were looking out for me, but in reality, he wanted me to use the opportunity to outshine Vivian, “Getting to know Mr. Parker will be good for Skyline Innovations.”

I suppressed the feeling of suffocation and followed him silently.

Fred didn’t even knock, pushing the door open and barging in, putting on his signature hypocritical smile, “Mr. Parker, long time no see.”

As a member of the Knight family, he thought he could manipulate the situation through family connections. Lawrence looked up, a glimmer of disgust flashing in his eyes. Although he stood up to be polite, his tone was as flat as water, “Fred, what a coincidence.”

Fred stubbornly pushed me forward, “This is Hazel from Skyline Innovations, who has been working in biotechnology for many years and has achieved great results. We hope to cooperate with you.”

I tried hard to maintain my smile and reached out to him, “Mr. Parker, I’ve heard of you often.”

Lawrence, however, couldn’t be bothered to even look at me, barely touching my fingertips before swiftly pulling away. He ignored us entirely, turning back to look at Vivian, his eyes instantly turning gentle, “Ms. Vivian, where were we talking about just now? I’m getting old, and my memory isn’t what it used to be.”

The air seemed to freeze. Fred’s smile stiffened on his face, and my hand was still suspended in mid-air, leaving me no choice but to retract it, my nails digging deep into my palms.

“Then we won’t disturb you both.” Fred said with a gloomy face, dragging me away in a hurry.

In the hallway, Fred stopped, glaring angrily at the closed door, his face looking frighteningly dark. I bowed my head, my fingers unconsciously rubbing the shoulder strap of my bag, the warmth in my palms having long since turned cold.

“Don’t take it to heart.” Fred looked at my cowering appearance, his voice softening, “That Lawrence fellow is just arrogant because of his technology. If he doesn’t want to talk, it’s his loss; it has nothing to do with you.”

I looked up, forcing a smile, “I know.”

Fred frowned and suddenly asked, “What is going on with Vivian? Why does she always target you? Is there some history between you two?”

I stayed silent for a few seconds, carefully calculating my words in my head, then looked up at him, my voice sounding near-shattered, “Hudson Group used to invest in her laboratory, but later there were problems, and the group decided to pull the funding. That time… I was the one who went to announce the decision. So it’s normal that she doesn’t like me. If it were me, I’d probably hold a grudge too.”

Fred’s eyes were full of disgust, “Withdrawing investment is a group decision; it’s not your fault. She actually holds a grudge to this day? She’s truly narrow-minded.” He took a deep breath, “Hazel, this has nothing to do with you. The fact that she’s taking her anger out on you only shows that she has a small perspective.”

I didn’t answer, just lowered my eyes, keeping that sense of “grievance” exactly right.

Fred stepped forward, his tone gentle, “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way regarding the cooperation. In a few days, I’ll introduce you to some big projects, and I guarantee you’ll get through this crisis.”

I slowly met his gaze, showing just the right amount of gratitude and reliance, “Thank you, Fred.”

Just as Fred was about to say something, my phone suddenly vibrated.

“Dylan’s” name danced on the screen.

My heart tightened. I gave Fred a look and turned away to answer it.

“I’ve heard about the recent developments at Skyline Innovations.” Dylan’s voice was as low and cold as ever, without a hint of warmth, “There’s an industry exchange meeting tomorrow; get ready and come with me. Let’s see if you can find a suitable partner.”

I gripped the phone, pausing for a moment before suppressing my emotions, “Alright, I understand.”

He didn't wait for me to say more and hung up directly.

I put away my phone, took a deep breath, tried my best to hide the emotions in my eyes, and turned back to Fred.

Fred observed my expression and asked casually, “Was that Dylan?”

I stared at the closed door, anxiety spreading wildly. Fred’s face was dark; he was jealous that Lawrence Parker was sitting inside, and that agitation made him forget basic etiquette.