Chapter 96
The next day, I hired two new maids. They were Soren's relatives, so they were my people. I paid them double, with one condition: they were to ensure the safety of all food and drink, and to prevent anyone from tampering with anything in the kitchen.
I spent the next few days resting at home. Octavius had disappeared, not a single word from him. But for now, the situation had stabilized. At least Mitchell hadn't come back to bother me. The Obelon family had remained silent about the marriage rumors, and everyone just assumed that Gabriel and I were dating.
At eight o'clock, I arrived at the Whitaker Group. The employees, who hadn't seen me in days, were unusually friendly and attentive.
"Good morning, Ms. Whitaker!"
"Ms. Whitaker, your coffee."
"Ms. Whitaker, these are the documents that need your review..."
I nodded to each of them. It seemed the rumors Soren had spread were taking effect. In their eyes, I was no longer just the adopted daughter with no inheritance rights, but a shareholder, an ambitious contender for the succession. Good. This was exactly what I wanted. The more I stood out, the more anxious certain people would become.
Amara, however, seemed to be unaware of the rumors circulating within the company. I was just waiting for the news to reach her ears, to see how she would react.
I smiled to myself and walked into my office. After a busy morning, my phone rang.
Soren cleared his throat. "Ms. Whitaker, Mr. Capulet is here. He says he needs to discuss the details of the collaboration project in person. He's in the conference room downstairs."
"What?" I was stunned, at a loss for words.
Why was Octavius here? He had seen me with Gabriel at the restaurant and had shown no reaction, just ignored me. I had thought we would just drift apart, that he would never set foot in the Whitaker Group again.
But he was here for business. Octavius had always been professional, and the project was important to the Capulet Group. It wasn't surprising that he would come to discuss it in person.
"I see." I said, letting out a breath. "Have the team leader and his team go and greet him."
"Yes, Ms. Whitaker." Soren hesitated. "Will you be attending?"
"I will be there on time." I replied.
I hung up and took a few deep breaths. I couldn't panic. We were just business partners.
I stood up and, on impulse, checked my reflection in the full-length mirror. A gray suit dress, long hair, delicate features. I looked fine. I breathed a sigh of relief and deliberately waited a few minutes before entering the conference room.
The room was already full. Three or four people from the Capulet Group were there, with Octavius sitting at the head of the table, his eyes downcast. He seemed even colder, more unapproachable than before.
I lowered my gaze and walked to my seat.
"Let's begin," I said.
The employee in charge of the presentation from the Whitaker Group began. But Octavius's presence was so intimidating that the presenter was clearly nervous, stammering and stumbling over his words. The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly awkward.
Octavius didn't look up, but his brow furrowed slightly. It wasn't just the employee; I was nervous too.
"Our... our budget... is based on..." the employee stammered. I couldn't bear to listen anymore. I was about to stand up and help when Octavius closed the file in his hands.
He slowly looked up. "Is this how the Whitaker Group values this project? The main presenter has this level of professionalism?"
The employee was on the verge of tears. "No, Mr. Capulet, I just... I didn't expect you to be here in person. I'm just nervous. Please give me another chance. I'll do better!"
"Chances are for those who are prepared." Octavius said, standing up, his face cold. "If the person in charge is like this, it shows how little the Whitaker Group cares about this project. There's no need to continue this partnership."
The room fell silent. All eyes were on me. I was the one in charge, the one who had convinced Octavius to partner with the Whitaker Group in the first place. His questioning of the Whitaker Group's competence was a direct challenge to me.
There was no escaping it.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and stood up. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, I walked to the front. "Mr. Capulet, please calm down. This is just a minor hiccup. I will provide the supplementary explanation."
I immediately began to present the project proposal. As I spoke, I kept my eyes on the data charts on the screen, not daring to look at Octavius. But even with all the other eyes on me, I could feel his icy gaze following my every move.
"And that concludes my presentation. The Whitaker Group is fully committed to this project. Of course, if Mr. Capulet is still not satisfied, we can discuss it further."
I finished my last sentence, nodded slightly, and finally found the courage to look at the head of the table. The room was silent, everyone holding their breath, waiting for Octavius's reaction.
He looked at me for a full three or four seconds before looking away. He reopened the file. "Continue with the next agenda item."
I let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't said anything, but he hadn't made things difficult for me either. The tension in the room eased. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
For the rest of the hour-long meeting, Octavius didn't look at me once. I sat across from him, watching the way his knuckles stood out as he held his pen. But even though we were so close, our lives would never intersect again.
Being ignored by Octavius wasn't as easy as I had imagined. I mocked myself internally. 'Isn't this what you wanted? To cut all ties with him, to let him be with someone his family approved of, someone who wouldn't take advantage of him.' My nails dug into my palms as I struggled to maintain my composure.
Finally, the meeting was over.
Octavius looked up at me. "Ms. Whitaker."
I snapped back to reality, caught off guard by his cold gaze. "Mr. Capulet, is there anything else?"
"I need you to prepare a separate supplementary report on the data. Everyone else is dismissed."
The room fell silent again. He wanted me to stay behind? The Whitaker Group employees exchanged glances, surprised, but no one dared to ask any questions. I watched them pack up and leave, feeling a sense of unease. Soon, the Capulet Group's people also left.
Only Octavius and I remained in the conference room.
I sat there, meeting his gaze. I cleared my throat. "Mr. Capulet, which data would you like me to report on?"
He looked at me, his face impassive. "Aren't you very capable? Why don't you guess which data I'm not satisfied with."
I let out a helpless laugh. "Mr. Capulet, your mind is too difficult to read. I can't possibly guess. Why don't you just tell me?"
It seemed he was determined to give me a hard time. I had caused his grandfather's health to worsen, and I had announced my engagement so quickly. It was only natural that he would be angry. But I still hadn't expected things to turn out like this. No matter what I did, it seemed we were destined to miss each other.
Octavius narrowed his eyes, his lips parting slightly. "My mind is difficult to read? I think that's a better description for you."
I blinked, confused. "What?"
He scoffed. "Isn't it? I can't read your mind either. You just broke off your engagement with Mitchell, and now you're planning to marry Gabriel. You're certainly busy."