Chapter 41
"The Smith Group must fully cooperate with her work. If anyone dares to hold things back, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
As soon as these words came out, several executives showed surprise on their faces, but no one dared to object.
Mireille's attitude was already very clear. Ophelia had proven herself with real ability, and no one dared to question her anymore.
Ophelia felt warmth in her heart and nodded solemnly: "Thank you for your trust, Grandma. I will definitely live up to your expectations."
Mireille patted the back of her hand: "I believe in you. Do well. The future of the Smith Group will depend on you, young people."
The celebration banquet was set at the most upscale hotel in the city. The Smith Group had booked the entire banquet hall, which was brilliantly lit and filled with elegantly dressed guests.
Many industry celebrities and partner representatives came, all drawn by this highly anticipated resort project.
Ophelia wore a champagne-colored floor-length gown with light, elegant makeup. As soon as she walked into the banquet hall, she attracted quite a few gazes.
William was already waiting for her at the entrance, wearing a dark gray suit with an upright posture. When he saw her come in, a flash of amazement crossed his eyes.
"You're here." He naturally extended his arm.
Ophelia hesitated for a moment, but still took his arm. They walked into the hall side by side, their perfect harmony drawing many sideways glances.
"Ms. Blake is young and promising. This project was really beautifully done!" Daniel from the Moore Group came over with a wine glass, his tone sincere. "We're even more confident about future cooperation."
"Mr. Wilson, you're too kind. We still need your support." Ophelia smiled in response and lightly clinked glasses with him.
William added from the side: "Ophelia has very unique ideas about operational planning. Going forward, we at the Brown Group will also fully cooperate to achieve a win-win situation."
The atmosphere was harmonious, and people around them came over to toast. Ophelia handled it all with ease.
In the corner, Ainsley watched this scene, so angry her nails were nearly digging into her palms.
She wore a flashy red dress, but not many people paid attention to her. All the attention had been stolen by Ophelia.
Especially seeing the gentle look in William's eyes when he looked at Ophelia, jealousy wrapped around Ainsley's heart like poisonous vines, almost suffocating her.
"Ainsley, don't let anger hurt you." Freya walked over with two glasses of red wine, a fake smile on her face, but viciousness hidden in her eyes. "Ophelia is feeling pretty proud right now. We can't just watch her bask in glory."
Ainsley took the red wine, sipped it, her tone icy: "What do you have in mind?"
Freya leaned close to her and lowered her voice to a volume only they could hear: "I've got something good here. Just slip it into her wine, and soon she'll be making a fool of herself in front of everyone."
"Then Mr. Brown will definitely be disgusted with her, and the Smith Group won't trust her anymore either. Isn't that exactly what you want?"
Ainsley's eyes lit up, but then she hesitated: "What if we get caught..."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Freya egged her on. "Just do it cleanly. Who would suspect us? Once her reputation is ruined, it'll be hard for her to bounce back."
Blinded by jealousy, Ainsley looked at Ophelia in the distance, surrounded by people, and gritted her teeth: "Fine, let's do it your way! When this works, I won't forget what you've done for me."
A triumphant smile curved Freya's lips. She took out a white paper packet from her bag, quickly poured it into one of the wine glasses, and gently swirled it. The powder dissolved instantly.
Ainsley gripped her wine glass, her palms slightly sweaty, feeling both nervous and excited.
She could already imagine Ophelia's embarrassing loss of composure in public. Then she'd see how Ophelia could still be so arrogant.
Halfway through the celebration banquet, the host invited Ophelia on stage to share her project experience.
Ophelia smoothed out her dress and walked on stage amid everyone's applause. Her concise and powerful speech won enthusiastic cheers.
As she came down from the stage, Freya was already waiting below with two glasses of red wine, wearing a fake smile: "Ophelia, congratulations! The project was so successful. Let me toast you. Let's just forget about past misunderstandings."
She said this while handing one glass of wine to Ophelia.
Ophelia's gaze shifted slightly. She noticed the flash of nervousness in Freya's eyes, then looked at Ainsley in the distance, who was staring at her with flickering eyes. She immediately understood.
Freya and Ainsley were definitely up to no good.
Ophelia calmly took the wine glass. Just as her fingers touched the glass, she deliberately pretended her hand slipped, and the wine splashed onto Freya's dress.
"I'm sorry!" Ophelia quickly apologized. Taking advantage of Freya's panicked wiping, she swiftly switched the wine glasses in her and Freya's hands. "It's all my fault for being so careless. Let me toast you with this glass as an apology."
Freya didn't notice anything unusual. She just wanted to quickly get Ophelia to drink the drugged red wine. She frowned and took the glass, urging, "Drink up. Here's to smooth sailing in your career."
Ophelia held the glass that originally belonged to Freya, took a light sip, and calmly watched as Freya drank down the drugged red wine in one gulp.
Ophelia sneered inwardly. Freya and Ainsley wanted to harm her? Then let them taste their own medicine.
Before long, the drug started to take effect.
Freya's eyes gradually became hazy, her cheeks flushed with an abnormal redness, and her steps began to stagger.
She instinctively looked around and happened to run into Albert Sanchez, a business partner she'd had some shady dealings with before.
"Ms. Stewart, long time no see." Albert came forward with a smile, his tone somewhat flirtatious.
Freya had already lost her senses. She grabbed Albert's arm and leaned forward with a clingy tone: "Mr. Sanchez, I've missed you so much..."
As she spoke, she tried to stand on tiptoe to kiss him.
This scene instantly exploded across the venue. Camera flashes went off one after another, guests took out their phones to record, and discussions filled the air.
"What's wrong with Freya?"
"What's her relationship with Mr. Sanchez? They look so intimate!"
"This is too explosive, what a scoop!"
Seeing this, Ainsley's face turned pale. She rushed forward to pull Freya away, but was stopped by William.
William took out his phone and played a video. The video voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for people nearby to hear clearly.
The video clearly recorded Ainsley and Freya plotting in the corner of the banquet hall. The scene of Freya taking out the drug packet and Ainsley nodding in agreement was crystal clear.
The truth was out in the open. Ainsley trembled all over, unable to say a word, and could only retreat step by step under everyone's contemptuous gazes.
Ophelia stood to the side, her expression calm, without the slightest ripple.
She had long anticipated that Ainsley wouldn't let things go, so she had William's people watch them in advance. She didn't expect they'd actually capture evidence.
Mireille sat in the main seat, her face dark, watching the farce before her, trembling with anger.
She slammed the table hard, her voice authoritative: "Enough!"