Chapter 996


    Sonia had just taken the folder and was about to review it when someone knocked the door. "Come


    in," she replied while flicking through the schedule.


    "President Reed." When the door was opened, an assistant stood at the door frame with one hand


    holding a blue file and the other hand rested on the doorknob as he announced, "President Lane


    has arrived to meet with you."


    "Charles is here?" Sonia was taken aback.


    What brings him here at this time?


    "President Reed." Standing in front of her desk, Daphne started to get


    nervous.


    She nced at Daphne and knew why Daphne was anxious, after which she gestured at Daphne to


    calm down. "Don''t worry or stress about it, Miss Daphne. I know what you''re going to say, so rest in


    my private lounge first."


    At that, Sonia indicated at the private lounge in the front. Then, Daphne wrung her hands as she


    gave a quick smile and sprinted to the said location. As she watched Daphne leaving, Sonia let out


    a soft sigh because Daphne and Charles had been the ideal working partners in the past. Yet, it was


    now a dream to watch them interact normally.


    Sonia massaged her temples before turning to look at the assistant standing at the door. "Where is


    Charles right now?"


    "President Lane is currently downstairs. He intended toe up, but President Dafoe stopped him


    as he passed by the area. They’re currently having a conversation," the assistant replied.


    Sonia frowned.


    Asher stopped Charles? What is he trying to achieve by stopping Charles?


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Her eyes dimmed momentarily, but she quickly regained herposure as she smiled at the


    assistant. "Okay, I understand. In that case, invite Charles toe up."


    "Understood," the assistant answered before closing the door.


    Soon after, the door reopened to reveal Charles stepping in casually. He was wearing a maroon


    shirt underneath his white casual suit, but he didn''tplement it with a tie. As two of the buttons of


    his outer attire were undone, it exposed his fair chest.


    Matching the top half of his attire was a pair of white ankle pants that fit his beautiful, slender


    ankles. To top things off, he even wore pointed leather shoes in the color of white.


    As a result, it made him look both showy and trashy.


    Even though Sonia was ustomed to his fashion sense, Sonia still found it repulsive.


    "Why are you dressed like this? Aren''t you cold?" She rubbed her temples again as she could


    already feel the chill from his exposed chest and ankles.


    However, Charles sensually approached her with his chin slightly raised. "No, of course not. I''m not


    feeling anything. Don''t you think that my outfit today is perfect?"


    His footsteps came to a rest in front of her desk. He then spun on his heels andpleted his


    antics with Michael Jackson’s ssic movement.


    Sonia restrained her smile.


    "Absolutely not. I just think you''re feeling cold right now. The corners of your mouth and your ankle


    are turning purple."


    The corner of his mouth twitched. "Please stop being so specific. The cold is meaningless when


    being cool is more important."


    "Dude, I''m worried you''re going to get sick." A helpless Sonia rubbed her temples for the third time.


    Charles gave a dismissive wave of his hand to indicate his disagreement. "I am, after all, the


    company president. How is it possible that I would get sick?"


    He then lifted his head arrogantly as though nothing could ever drag him down.


    His actions caused her tough and she remarked, "President? Sadly, your outfit does not match


    the image. You look more like a yboy. I''ve never seen a president dressed as trashy as you."


    His fashion style had already been trashy during the summer, what more with his floral shirts and


    showy pants. She had never expected him to maintain fashion style even during the winter, but she


    would nheless be rmed if he suddenly changed his entire image.


    "Of course, you''ve never seen anything like it. Those presidents you''ve met are mostly older men.


    How can they possiblypare with me?" Charles mocked as he drew a chair in front of her and


    sat.


    She rolled her eyes in return. "They are not all old. Tob—"


    Sonia paused in the middle of her sentence as if she had realized something. No, I cannot mention


    Toby in his presence. Even if he''s imed he''s given up on me and offered us his blessing, I


    shouldn''t bring up Toby so casually in front of him. It''ll hurt him.


    "Sorry, Charles. I—"


    "It''s all right.” Charles waved his hand again, his smile still on his face. "You don''t have to be that


    way. I know you want to talk about Toby, so just be yourself and say it. I''m not bothered at all. He''s


    your boyfriend, and you may speak openly about him. I shouldn''t restrict you from talking about him


    for some reason, should I? That would be far too selfish of me."


    Charles smiled widely at her. He was slightly upset when she brought up Toby, but he soon


    overcame it. He had already said that it would be selfish of him to stop Sonia from talking about her


    boyfriend just because he still loved her. Being selfish was thest thing on his mind. Moreover, he


    had made up his mind from the start to make the one whom he loved happy.


    If Toby was the one who could offer Sonia happiness, then Charles would dly give her up. So, if


    she was upset because it made him sad that her boyfriend''s name was being mentioned, wouldn''t


    that break the promise he made when he decided to let her go?


    Sonia moved her lips, but she said nothing in response to his nonchnt expression. Apart from his


    parents, she was the only one who understood her childhoodpanion after knowing him for


    almost twenty years.


    Charles might look cheery at the time, but it was all an act; he was clearly upset beneath that


    smiling facade.


    "Charles..." She looked at the man with guilt.


    He sighed, knowing she med herself for owing him too much again. "Sonia, let''s not bring it up


    again. Let''s get back to the main point. Theponents are due today. It will be a major problem if


    it is not resolved by today. Do you have any ideas on how to address it?"


    She was focused again when it rted to business. She nodded, dismissing her conflicting feelings.


    "Yeah. I will follow your earlier rmendations." "You''re going to mortgage thepany


    building?" His eyes widened in shock.


    Sonia shook her head. "No, nope, I''m not mortgaging this building."


    "Not this building?" When he heard the response, he felt relieved. Charles almost jumped up in


    surprise, but he sat up and patted his chest in relief. "That''s a big relief. Despite my suggestion, I


    didn''t want it to be Paradigm Co., which your father built twenty years ago. Although the value of


    this old building cannot bepared to that of new office towers, the cost of its location in the city


    center is unquantifiable. Using it as a mortgage for a single opportunity to get out of business


    trouble is not worth the risk. Furthermore, the bank may be unwilling to release the building''s deed


    to you in the future."


    Due to its strategic location, its value will never depreciate. Because of this, the bank will try


    everything in its power to get its hands on it.