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Millyhadnonstolinger,particrlybecauseshewasn’tacquaintedwithanyofKen’sfriends.Hersoleaimwastodeliveragiftanddepart.
Yet,asKenobservedhergettingreadytoleave,hegrewunexpectedlyworried.“Holdon,Milly,nowthatyou’rehere,whynotjoinusfordinner?I’vearrangedatableandthemealisprepared.Itwouldberegrettableforyoutodepartsopromptly.
Millywasperplexed.“Isn’tthisaparty?Youmusthaveotherschoolmatespresent.Letthemenjoythe<b>meal</b>.”
Kenhesitated.
Indeed,heliedaboutitbeingabirthdayparty.Ifonlyhehadknownearlier,hewouldn’thavespokenlike
that.
“Um…they’veallleft.Iaskedmyssmatesovestnight,butsinceyou’reunfamiliarwiththem,Iextendedaseparateinvitationtoyoutoday.”Withthat,hegentlygraspedherhandanddirectedhertowardtheelevator,anxiousshemightdepart.
“It’sthetruth.Ifyoudoubtme,goupandverify.The<b>meal</b>isready,andtherearen’tanyotherssmates!”
AsMillywas drawnalong,sheexperiencedunease.Inaspontaneousmove,sheinadvertentlycollidedhishandagainstthedoorframe,producingaresounding“thud“.
Kenwasstartledbyherintenseresponse.“You
Millyretreatedasteptoregainheposure.“Iapologise,itwasunintentional.Isimplyamnotustomedtobeingincloseproximitytothe oppositegender.”
Uponnoticingherpalliplexion,Kenpromptlyofferedreassurance.“<b>It’s</b>alright,it’smyfault.Ishouldn’thavepulledyouwithoutyourconsent.”
Milly,grapplingwithguilt,askedabouthishand.“Isyourhandalright?”
“It’salright,nothurtingintheleast.Weexperiencefartoughertumblesduringtraining,sothisisminor.”
Uponhearingherconcern,Kenwasoverwhelmedwithexcitement,hiswholebeingbuzzingwithenergy.HewassothrilledthathewishedhecouldexecuteaperfectThomasirrightthenandthere,disregardinganydifortinhis hand.
“Milly,sincewe’vemadeitallthewayhere,whynoeupandtakealook?I’vespecificallyaskedthecheftoprepareseveralnewdishesforyou.Ifyoudon’t<be</b><b>,</b>I’lltrulybeheartbroken.Ipromise.Itwon’ttakelong
Withanexpressionfilledwithhope,Kenlookedat Milly,hisdemeanourresemblingthatofaworriedpupafraidofbeingleftbehind.
Despitehisimposingstature,henowappearedpitifullylikeanabandonedpuppyon the vergeofbeing
deserted.
Millysighedsilently.Therewasnouseingettingannoyedwithsomeoneso young.
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mustdepart.”
Kenbeamedwithdelightandnoddedcagerly.That’senough.”
Theelevatorrosetothehighestlevel.
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Milly,whodeemedherselfsomewhatculturedfromherpreviouslife,hadfrequentedmanvishgatherings.However,shewasstillsurprisedbythegrandeurofthetopfloor.
Ifthegroundlevelwasimpressive,thetopfloorwasundeniablysplendidanvish.
Theentirelevelresembledsomethingoutofafairytalepce.Millyponderedwhetherthedecorincludedrealgemstones.WhiletheFitzgeraldsasserteditwasmerelyafive–starhotel,shesuspectedtheyweredownyingit.Thiscecouldeffortlesslyqualifyasaseven–star!
Kenguidedherintoaroom,anduponswingingthedooropen,shewasmetwithafeastsuitableforroyalty,onceagainleavingherinamazement.
Thisfeastwasn’tjustfigurative.Itwasagenuineroyalbanquet!
Arrangedonacolossalrevolvingtable,<b>spacious</b>enoughforfortytofiftyguestsyanassortmentofexquisitedishes.Shroudedinmistemanatingfromdryice,itmirroredaspectaclefromvishbanquet.
No,itwasevenmoreextravagantthanvishbanquet!
Evenifshemanagedtotrya<b>small</b>portionofeachdish,shedoubtedshecouldsavourthemall.
“Youdidn’tcookupoverahundreddishesforthis<b>banquet</b>,didyou?”Millyasked.
Kenscratchedhishead,“It’sactuallybeyondahundreddishes,butstrictlyspeaking,it’snotatypicalbanquetbecauseofregtionsconcerningcertainprotectedanimals.Asaresult<b>,</b>ourchefshavemadesomealterationstothemenu<b>.</b>“
Millywasspeechless.
Inaseparatechamber,Georgerubbedhistemples,hisdelicatefingersslidingoverthecontractbefore.flingingittoDannybehindhim,remarking.“Havealookatthis.”
Dannyawkwardlyreceivedthecontractandmeticulouslyreviewed it.
Inhisthoughts,hecouldn’tshakeoff<b>the</b>question:TheFitzgeraldsclearlyintendtoappeaseMr.Tatebyassigningthesmallerprojectswhilekeepingthebigonesforourselves.Yet,evenwithsuchefforts,Mr.Tatestilldoesn’tregardthemhighlyenoughtobotherlookingatthecontracts.
Yet,itwasclearthattheFitzgeraldswerereadytoengageinwhatappearedtobeanunprofitableagreementjusttolingerintheshadowoftheTateGroup.ConsideringtheTateGroup’ssubstantialinfluenceinHalturia’sindustry,evenasmallportionoftheirprosperitywouldbeenoughtosupporttheFitzgeralds
ManyfamiliesendeavouredtoalignthemselveswithTateGroup.George’sreadinesstocoboratewiththeFitzgeraldsstemmedfromtheirefficientproductstructure,whichmadecooperationlesplicated.
Ultimately,businessmenprioritizetheirpersonalinterests.
Followingprehensivereview oftheprojectcooperationnandacarefulobservationofGeorge’s
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attitude,Dannyconfidentlydered,“Mr.Tate,therearenoconcernswiththecontract.Youcanproceed
tosign.<b>”</b>
HethenhandedthecontracttoGeorge.
Withasubtle“<b>hmm</b>“,Georgeretrievedavaluablegoldenpenfromhispocketandpromptlyaffixedhis
signature.
Theagreementwasfinalised.
Jasonwaspleasantlytakenabackbytheseamlessprocess.HewarmlyshookhandswithDanny,conveyinghisappreciation.“Thankyou,Mr.Jarvis.Thankyou,Mr.Tate.Wearefullyconfidentinthisprojectandlookforwardtoitssess,”
Amongtheircircle,itwaswidelyknownthatGeorge,theCEOofTateGroup,wasagermaphobewhosteeredclearofphysicalcontact.Evenahandshakewasoffthetable,letaloneenduringthesmellofsmokefromsomeonenearby.
TherewasasmallbusinessownerfromanemergingindustrywhoendeavouredtowinfavourwithTateGroupbysendingtwowomen,onlytofindthemselvesbankruptandforcedintoliquidationtheverynextday.
Followingthat,whethertheybelieveditornot,everyoneremainedsilent.
Dannyremaineposed,wearingaprofessionalsmileonhisface.“Thenwe’llwaitforyour goodnews.”
Deepdown,however,hecouldn’thelpbutharbourdoubts.Heknewhedidn’twieldenoughinfluence<b>to</b>swayGeorge’sdecisions.ThiswasmerelyaformalityafterGeorge’sreview,andhewasjustyingthe
roleofaconversationalist.
“Ofcourse!”Jasonchuckled,hisweatheredfaceetchedwithwrinkles.“It’sgettinte.Let’senjoyamealfirst.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.
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