Chapter 40
At the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Leo was scheming on how to push Myra closer to Tony. He felt confident in his plan as he glanced subtly at his boss. Usually, Tony despised when his subordinates made decisions without consulting him, but when Leo made the lunch announcement, a smile appeared on Tony’s lips, and a flicker of approval passed through his eyes.
As Myra exited the car with her luggage, she overheard Leo’s announcement. Her gaze instinctively landed on Tony, who stood at the center of the group, effortlessly commanding attention. Tall and striking, he was absorbed in his phone, his sharp jawline highlighted by the soft light. Though his usual cold demeanor remained, there was a faint sense of joy in his expression.
However, the thoughts from earlier weighed on Myra’s mind, and her mood soured. She felt an urge to leave, her thoughts unsettled after the events of the hotel and the awkwardness in the car. Without hesitation, she turned to Leo, her voice calm but firm. “I’m a little tired from the past few days, so I’ll pass on the lunch. I appreciate the invitation, but I’ll head home and rest this afternoon. The Chase Group will gladly treat everyone another day.”
Myra’s abrupt departure caught Leo off guard, his face falling, but he quickly masked his discomfort. She had already called a cab before he could protest, and the car drove off with a hurried farewell.
Leo’s mood soured as he realized his plan had backfired. A cold grunt from Tony reminded him of his misstep. “Did I ask you to invite them to lunch at the Ritz Carlton?” Tony’s voice was icy, his displeasure evident.
Leo’s heart raced, beads of sweat forming as he stammered, “Director Hart, I… made the decision myself.”
Tony’s gaze narrowed. “You’ll be punished with a month’s salary. If you ever make decisions like this again, you’ll replace Justin in South Africa.”
Leo sighed in relief after Tony left for the elevator. Miss Stark is a troublesome woman… he thought.
Meanwhile, in the Hay Group’s car, Sasha and Lily were deep in discussion about the design drafts. Sasha was fixated on surpassing the Stark Group’s proposal, dismissing Lily’s ideas as too conventional. “Don’t worry,” she reassured her assistant. “We’ll get my father’s opinion. He’ll know what to do.”
But as they discussed, Lily suddenly asked, “Miss Hay, last night, you weren’t in your room when I came by. Where did you go so late?”
Sasha’s face flushed slightly, and she stammered, “I was walking around the hotel’s garden. You know the pressure I’ve been under lately.”