Chapter 13
"Money is no problem. I want these photos spread all over the city as soon as possible."
After hanging up, she walked to the mirror and looked at her twisted face, a vicious smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
Ophelia, you want to climb up by latching onto men, don't you? I'll let everyone see what kind of person you really are!
When that man gets disgusted with you and the Smith family won't accept you, let's see how smug you can be then!
Early the next morning, Ophelia got up very early.
She chose a simple white shirt and black dress pants, put on light makeup - professional-looking without being too flashy.
Checking the time, it was already 8:30. She grabbed her bag, planning to leave early and wait for Daniel at the coffee shop.
As soon as she went downstairs, she saw William's car parked below.
She paused for a moment, then walked over and tapped on the window.
The window rolled down, revealing William's face. He was wearing a dark gray suit, looking more approachable than usual.
"What are you doing here?" Ophelia asked, puzzled. "Didn't you say Chase would handle this with me?"
"Chase had an emergency. I happened to be free, so I came to check on things." William opened the car door. "Get in, I'll drive you there."
"No need, I can just take a cab. It's pretty convenient." Ophelia declined.
She didn't want to get too close to William to avoid giving people more ammunition. Plus, their partnership was supposed to be confidential - being too obvious about it wasn't good.
"Get in." William's tone left no room for argument. "I've known Mr. Wilson for over ten years. Back in the day, the Brown Group and the Moore Group worked together. If I'm there, he'll show me some respect, and the negotiation will go more smoothly."
Ophelia was taken aback, not expecting they had this connection.
Then again, with William's high status in the business world and Daniel's many years in the building materials industry, there was no reason they wouldn't know each other.
She nodded and opened the car door to get in.
The car drove smoothly, the cabin quiet.
Ophelia leaned back in her seat, feeling a bit nervous, constantly going over the details of the partnership proposal in her mind, afraid something might go wrong during the negotiation.
Seeing her looking so preoccupied, William couldn't help but smile. "That nervous?"
"A little." Ophelia nodded honestly. "This project is really important to me."
"Don't worry. Mr. Wilson is practical but also values relationships. Your proposal is solid, plus with my connection, securing this partnership shouldn't be a problem." William looked at her, his eyes showing confidence. "You stood out from so many competitors back then to win the Moore Group's business - you can do it again now."
Ophelia was surprised that he even knew about this.
"How do you know that?"
"I looked into the Moore Group's partners before and saw your name and case studies," William said frankly. "Your proposals are very creative, and your execution is strong. You're a rare talent."
Being praised so directly by William made Ophelia's cheeks feel slightly warm.
Fortunately, the car soon arrived at the coffee shop below the Moore Group building.
There were still fifteen minutes before the 10 o'clock appointment. Ophelia opened the car door. "Thanks for driving me. If you have other things to do, you can go ahead."
"I'm free. I'll wait with you." William also got out of the car and followed her into the coffee shop. "Good chance to catch up with him."
Ophelia didn't refuse again. They chose a seat by the window.
Ophelia ordered an Americano, while William ordered a latte.
"By the way, you didn't tell anyone from the Smith family about the partnership, right?" Ophelia was still a bit worried and asked again.
"No." William shook his head. "Publicly, you're just a project consultant for the Brown Group. No one will know our real arrangement."
Only then did Ophelia fully relax. She picked up her coffee and took a sip. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Daniel walking in from outside.
Daniel spotted William right away, his eyes lighting up as he quickly walked over. "William, what are you doing here?"
"Daniel, long time no see." William stood up and shook his hand, smiling naturally. "I happened to have something to discuss with you, and I heard Ophelia was coming to work out the partnership details, so I came along."
"I see." Daniel looked at Ophelia and nodded with a smile. "Ophelia, we're old acquaintances. I still remember the supply chain optimization proposal you did for the Moore Group back then."
Ophelia's heart leaped with joy - she hadn't expected Daniel to remember her. She quickly stood up. "Mr. Wilson, you're too kind. I should thank you for recognizing my work back then."
"You have real skills - no need to thank me." Daniel waved his hand and sat down across from them. "Speaking of which, you're also leading this partnership proposal for the Brown Group?"
"Yes, Mr. Wilson. I've prepared the proposal - please take a look." Ophelia quickly handed over the revised partnership proposal.
Daniel took the proposal and began reading it carefully.
Meanwhile, in a black sedan across from the coffee shop, the private investigator hired by Freya was holding a camera, continuously taking photos.
He chose a tricky angle, making the occasional eye contact between William and Ophelia look especially intimate.
When Freya received the photos, she was anxiously waiting for news in her office.
The moment she saw the photos, her eyes instantly lit up, a vicious smile curling at her lips.
Great! It's truly a stroke of luck!
She recognized William, the president of the Brown Group, a truly top-tier elite!
Ophelia had actually hooked up with him!
Freya immediately drafted a post: "Ophelia seamlessly moves on to the Brown Group's president, William, willing to betray her ex-husband to climb the social ladder, using improper relationships to grab partnership opportunities - a real-life gold digger!"
Along with those suggestive photos, she posted them directly to the city's biggest gossip forum and several wealthy circle groups.
After finishing all this, Freya leaned back in her chair smugly, feeling extremely satisfied.
Ophelia, let's see how you explain this!
Someone like William values reputation above all - if he finds out Ophelia is using him for publicity, he'll definitely be disgusted with her!
Ophelia, when that happens, you'll have nothing left!
In the coffee shop, Daniel had finished reading the proposal, his face showing a satisfied smile. "The proposal is very detailed and thorough. William, the Brown Group found a good consultant."
"You're too kind, Daniel. It's mainly because Ophelia is capable." William said with a smile.
"You have good judgment." Daniel looked at Ophelia. "Ophelia, I really like this proposal. I'll have my team coordinate with yours to finalize the partnership as soon as possible."
"That's wonderful!" Ophelia's heart soared with joy. "Thank you, Mr. Wilson, for giving us this opportunity. We definitely won't let you down."
"Looking forward to working together." Daniel extended his hand and shook Ophelia's hand.