Chapter 35
CEO's Office.
Diana sat at the desk, staring at the man in front of her.
Michael was frowning, focused on a document.
If you thought this document was something important, you'd be wrong. It was the same one they had signed just a few days ago.
Michael had flipped through it several times.
His pen had punctured the paper's edge more than once.
When Michael's pen pierced the paper again, Diana took a deep breath. "Mr. Johnson, you asked me to come over. Is there something you need? Can't we just communicate? Does the CEO really need to handle this personally?"
It was just a small collaboration, merely a project for the Johnson Group.
Each project had its own manager. All she needed to do was coordinate with them.
Yet, Michael had called her into his office.
Half an hour had passed, and he hadn't said a word.
Clearly, he was messing with her.
Facing Diana's anger, Michael slowly looked up, leaning back lazily in his chair with a slight smile. "What's wrong? Lost your patience? Are you doing this on purpose?"
Michael went silent, placing the pen aside. "We should show some sincerity in our collaboration. You can't even spare a little time?"
"What do you want? Didn't we agree yesterday? We have no personal connection, and now you're..." Diana's voice carried impatience.
Suddenly, she felt a chill down her spine, and her voice softened. "I mean, we should be professional, don't you think? Are you saying I'm not professional?"
Michael's lips curved slightly, his jawline tightened. His voice was calm but intimidating.
Diana swallowed hard.
For the sake of the collaboration, she had to endure.
After repeating this to herself, Diana forced a smile and asked, "Shall we get back to work?"
Diana took a deep breath, adopting a professional tone. "As you know, we're a small studio focused on custom designs. We do take some orders, but that's not our main business. My jewelry needs a specific display to highlight its features..."
The office was quiet.
Diana's gentle voice was clear.
Michael's expression didn't change, but a barely noticeable smile appeared on his lips.
An hour passed.
Diana's throat was dry and hoarse.
She cleared her throat. "I..."
"Have some coffee. We still have many details to confirm. You need to keep your voice in good shape for our discussion."
Diana stared at the coffee that suddenly appeared in front of her. "More details?"
Did the CEO of the Johnson Group have this much free time?
The Johnson Group covered various industries, and he was always busy. Yet, he had a whole day to discuss details with her.
No choice, the client is always right.
With a dry throat, Diana took a few gulps of coffee. "You're the client. Whatever you decide, I'll cooperate."
"Great, let's have lunch first."
"I..."
"We can talk over lunch. It'll save time."
"Alright."
On the highway.
On the Highway.
Watching the scenery fly by, Diana was puzzled and asked, "Where are we going?"
"I felt like having Italian. Thought I'd take you to try it," Michael replied, his deep voice calm as he sent the restaurant's location to Diana's phone.
The next moment, Diana's face turned red with frustration. Is this the life of a domineering CEO? TV shows depict CEOs as valuing every minute. Yet, here he was, driving six hours round-trip for a meal he liked.
As the car left the city, Diana cautiously spoke up, "If you want Italian, I know a great place nearby. I can recommend it."
"I like this one," Michael said, not even glancing her way as he increased the speed.
Fine, if you can't resist, just accept it. Diana comforted herself, pulling out her laptop to handle unfinished emails.
As a jewelry designer, every second counted. Since winning first place in a jewelry competition, her orders had skyrocketed. She barely had time to sleep. Unfortunately, today would be wasted.
As the car sped down the road, Diana's fingers flew over the keyboard, not wasting a moment.
Meanwhile, in the CEO's Office of the Sherman Group
Jake stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the recent investigation results, his expression dark.
"So, Veda's trying to seduce Michael?" he asked, his voice cold.
"That's what the evidence suggests. There are photos and videos. If it weren't for Diana, things would be worse," his assistant replied.
Late at night, a sexy dress, exquisite makeup, and a seductive expression. Jake smashed his cup on the floor, his face grim, a sinister smile on his lips. "Very well. Just a bastard daughter, daring to cross me."
"Mr. Sherman, we've confirmed everything. Do you want to call off the engagement? The engagement is with the Garcia family, not specifically Veda."
Talking about the engagement, Jake's eyes turned icy. "Yes, it's with the Garcia family."
When the elders arranged the engagement, Veda wasn't even around. But after Veda appeared, always following him, both families started changing their minds.
Jake calmed down, a stubborn glint in his eyes. "Fine. If Veda wants to abandon the Sherman family for someone else, let's see if she can handle it."
"Investigate Diana for me. She just won first place in a jewelry competition and secured a deal with the Johnson Group. Find out what their relationship is."
Michael and Diana? Interesting. Jake narrowed his eyes, watching the parking garage footage, a hint of intrigue in his gaze. "Things are getting more interesting."
The phone suddenly rang. Jake glanced at it indifferently.
"Jake, listen to me. Don't do anything rash. I don't care about you and Veda, but the engagement cannot be canceled. Our partnership with the Garcia family is too deep. We can't separate," an angry voice came from the other end.
Jake habitually held the phone away, a mocking smile on his lips. "So you're selling your son for a partnership?"