Chapter 162 Jeremy Davis
Quinley seemed to have guessed already. Whether it was Harold or Alicia, she wasn't quite sure.
The car sped down the asphalt road and soon arrived at the restaurant. From a distance, Quinley spotted Harold. He wore a gray-silver custom business suit, his frame tall and imposing. After more than six months, he seemed even more smug.
"Mr. Jennings, long time no see!"
Harold extended his hand, his shifty eyes sweeping from Zachary to Quinley. Zachary kept his expression cold, his deep gaze brushing past Harold dismissively.
"We just saw each other a few days ago. Mr. Davis, are you that forgetful?"
He let out a cold laugh and didn't shake Harold's hand, walking straight into the private dining room. Harold gave an awkward laugh.
"A day without you feels like a lifetime. And we haven't seen each other for days!"
"Mr. Davis, we're not that close." Zachary corrected him bluntly. "Save that line for your little flings."
Harold's face twitched. "Haha, you're right."
Quinley and Lucas followed Zachary into the private room. Kevin was nowhere to be seen. The two people who'd come with Harold were both familiar to Quinley—one was the Davis Group's sales director, the other was Lauren.
The moment Quinley sat down, Harold turned his attention to her.
"If I remember correctly, Mr. Jennings, your secretary is Adela, right? And this is...?"
He deliberately drew out his words, squinting as he sized up Quinley.
"Cindy Promis, Mr. Jennings's current secretary. Nice to meet you, Mr. Davis."
Quinley stood gracefully and greeted Harold.
"Ms. Promis?"
Harold said the name with a playful tone. His strange inflection made the two people he'd brought turn to look at Quinley. Especially Lauren—her sharp eyes looked ready to see straight through her.
Zachary's expression instantly darkened. "Let's talk business."
Harold leaned back in his chair, one hand resting on the armrest, his long fingers tapping irregularly. "No rush. The lead official for the downtown redevelopment project just got confirmed. I moved heaven and earth to get him here today. He'll be here shortly—let's wait a bit."
The downtown redevelopment project was a key government initiative involving the transformation of the city center and construction of a commercial-cultural complex. A few days ago, Apex Global Group had won the bid. Then somehow, the Davis Group was also selected. Today's meeting between Zachary and Harold was to discuss how to proceed with the project.
Zachary didn't respond, and Harold couldn't continue. Everyone in the room lowered their eyes, holding their water glasses, each lost in their own calculations. The private room door stood open. The atmosphere was oppressive.
Zachary sat upright, his thin lips pressed into a cold, solitary line. Quinley and Lucas sat on either side of him, their expressions mirroring his.
Harold's gaze lifted, sweeping over Quinley again.
"Ms. Promis, where were you working before?"
He asked casually, but he was clearly fishing for information.
"Mind your own damn business. Focus on your own people."
Suddenly, Zachary spoke up, bluntly shutting Harold down. Harold didn't get angry. An ambiguous smile played on his face.
"Mr. Jennings, why so defensive? Once the downtown redevelopment project kicks off, the Davis Group and Apex Global Group are bound to interact frequently. I just noticed Ms. Promis is a new face—I'm trying to get familiar, you know? Makes future cooperation smoother. Right, Ms. Promis?"
"Small town. Nothing worth mentioning."
Quinley answered calmly.
"I heard Ms. Promis is originally from Lakeside City? That's a wonderful place—rich in talent and beauty."
Lauren suddenly spoke up. Quinley's heart tensed. She'd dealt with Lauren before. Lauren was slick and sharp—Harold's capable right hand. This was Quinley's first day in the position, but they'd already dug into her background. Lauren was probing to gauge her reaction.
"That's right, Ms. Morgan. Thanks for the compliment."
Quinley kept it brief. She was the youngest person in the room, but incredibly composed.
Lauren laughed lightly. "Ms. Promis, when you have time, would you be willing to invite us for a visit?"
Quinley didn't smile. She picked up her water glass and took a small sip. "Whether I'm willing or not doesn't really matter to whether you go. If you want to visit, you can anytime. But I'm pretty busy, so I probably won't have time to extend an invitation."
She stood her ground, making her position clear. Lauren's face stiffened slightly. But she was a pro.
"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. You look really familiar."
[Go to the restroom.]
Just then, Quinley's phone buzzed. She glanced at it—a message from Zachary. Lauren's goal was clear: expose Quinley's background in front of everyone. And Quinley's background wouldn't hold up to scrutiny.
Quinley understood. She excused herself. "I need to use the restroom."
She spoke quietly to Zachary, who gave a slight nod. Not long after Quinley left, Lauren also stepped out of the private room, phone in hand.
In the restroom, Lauren cornered Quinley.
"Ms. Promis, congrats on the promotion!"
She stood by the sink touching up her makeup, her eyes full of malice. Quinley had appeared at Rosewood City as a janitor at Apex Global Group. In less than a month, she'd leaped from janitor to Zachary's chief secretary. Word traveled fast. Though Lauren wasn't at Apex Global Group, she'd clearly done her homework.
"Thanks."
Quinley's attitude was cold. She washed her hands and turned to leave. Lauren's voice came again.
"Ms. Promis, I really feel like you remind me of someone."
"Ms. Morgan, what exactly are you trying to say? Am I not standing here as a person? If you don't think I'm a person, then what am I?"
Quinley let out a cold laugh and turned to face Lauren. She spoke quickly, her words sharp. Lauren froze, quickly explaining.
"Oh, Ms. Promis, that's not what I meant. I meant you look a lot like one of Mr. Jennings's previous secretaries."
Women notice details men miss. Quinley's appearance had been thoroughly transformed. Without careful observation, no one could spot traces of the old Quinley. But Lauren was meticulous. She'd picked up on the subtle clues.
"Ms. Morgan, now that you mention it, I think you look a lot like someone I used to know too. Unfortunately, she's dead."
Quinley turned the tables. Lauren hadn't expected this new face to push back so boldly. She ran a PR firm and had dealt with countless people—no one dared to be this brazen with her.
When Lauren entered the private room, a server was confirming the menu. Quinley was giving the server some instructions, which Lauren didn't catch. Just as she sat down, their VIP guest arrived.
"Mr. Jennings, my apologies—tied up with official business. I'm late."
A rich male voice came from the doorway. Quinley looked up to see the refined Jeremy appear. He was around forty, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his temples already graying. He was tall and slightly overweight. As he walked in, his hand was already extended toward Zachary.
"Hello."
Zachary shook his hand, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
"My transfer back to Rosewood City was so sudden—I never thought I'd have the chance to return in this lifetime. Mr. Jennings, I wanted to meet with you the moment I got back, but I've been swamped, couldn't find the time. Today I happened to be free, and the moment Harold mentioned it, I immediately cancelled my other appointments to come."
Jeremy was Harold's half-brother, more than ten years older, and had been working in the capital until now. Quinley had heard of him but never met him. Even at first glance, his deeply concealed presence was palpable.
"Mr. Davis, please, have a seat."
Zachary was polite, gesturing for Jeremy to sit.
"The higher-ups put me in charge of this project. Apex Global Group and the Davis Group are the two leading enterprises in Rosewood City. The downtown redevelopment project is demanding and complex. I deliberated for a long time and decided that having your two companies work together would better advance this project. What do you think, Mr. Jennings?"
The matter was already settled, yet he was asking Zachary's opinion. The question was rather odd.
"Jeremy, rest assured, I won't let you down."
Harold interjected.
"Was I talking to you?"
The refined and gentle Jeremy suddenly changed his demeanor. Those unfathomable eyes hidden behind his glasses sent chills down people's spines. Harold immediately shut up.
Jeremy's gaze slowly turned to Zachary. He wanted to hear Zachary's agreement.
"We'll follow your arrangements."
Zachary gave his response. Jeremy's tight expression instantly bloomed into a smile.
"Then I'll have to trouble you this time, Mr. Jennings. When you handle things, I have a hundred percent confidence. If things go well, you profit, I gain reputation—we both win. But if things go south—"