Chapter 204 There’s No Need To Hide It From Us


    Jean returned to her spot and seemed to be thinking about something. Suddenly she noticed that


    Maranda was ncing at her anxiously.


    Jean waved her hand, gesturing for Maranda toe over silently.


    Looking somewhat confused, Maranda pointed to herself. After Jean nodded her head, Maranda


    walked over to Jean.


    "What''s the matter?" Maranda asked in a low, discreet voice.


    "You told me earlier that the Lei Group withdrew their money, right?" Jean asked in a serious tone,


    looking directly at Maranda.


    "Yes, the source is reliable." Maranda nodded confidently and then leaned towards Jean. She


    whispered, "Don''t tell anyone that it was my cousin who gave me the news."


    "Your cousin?" Jean asked, looking quite bewildered.


    "My cousin is in the marketing department of his family''spany. So he always gets the news first-


    hand and fast. It is said that Ethan Lei was taken back to the Imperial City after he was found. It was


    the current CEO of the Lei Group who took action to withdraw their money from ourpany. I was so


    worried, because there''s a very high possibility that it''s all true, "


    Maranda said with a look of helplessness.


    "But boss didn''t mention the Lei Group''s withdrawal of money in the meeting room just a moment ago.


    If what you said is true, then howe ourpany hasn''t reacted since that happened?" Jean


    asked, tilting her head slightly and appearing confused.


    "That''s exactly what I''m curious about. How did ourpany survive the crisis?" Maranda said, sharing


    Jean''s thoughts.


    Jean frowned. She suddenly recalled that her boss had nced at her in the meeting room in an


    unusual, inexplicable way. What did that mean? John also appeared to be holding back his words.


    Jean began to realize that something was wrong.


    Perhaps...


    No way!


    A thought came to her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. She shook her head, unwilling to believe that


    it could be true.


    "Jean, did you figure it out?" Maranda asked excitedly, her eyes fixed on Jean, after noticing the


    "I don''t know. That''s why I asked you!" Jean sighed as she looked at Maranda. Then she said, "Let''s


    not think about it too much. Whatever has happened has happened! Let''s get back to work!"


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Maranda nodded in agreement and replied, "Alright. Let''ster meet up for lunch at a restaurant


    nearby. I haven''t eaten well because of what happened in ourpany and your absence. But I''ll have


    a great lunch today!"


    Maranda smiled radiantly at Jean and returned to her spot.


    It seemed to Jean that Maranda no longer felt embarrassed in front of John. A rxed expression


    came over Jean''s face and she couldn''t help lifting the corners of her lips.


    She continued with her work while time insensibly passed by.


    Jean wasn''t even aware that it was lunch time until Maranda tapped on her desk and reminded her to


    get ready for lunch. Jean looked up at Maranda in an absent-minded way and nodded.


    They strolled to a nearby restaurant. Soon after ordering their food, Jean looked up and saw John walk


    in.


    She quickly turned to Maranda and asked, "Maranda, do you mind if I invite John to join us?" She was


    worried that Maranda might feel awkward to share a table with John.


    Maranda raised her head and saw Jean looking at her in an eager, sincere way. She hardly managed


    to repress a frown as she replied, "Okay, go ahead!"


    "Are you really okay with it?" Jean confirmed with Maranda as she didn''t want to hurt Maranda''s


    feelings.


    "I think you want to talk to him personally. Shall I leave you two alone?" Maranda asked.


    "No, it''s alright." Jean shook her head and reassured Maranda.


    "Then do as you please." Shortly after she spoke, Maranda received her food from the waiter and


    began to eat.


    "John..." Noticing that Maranda wasn''t really bothered, Jean waved her hand at John and called him.


    John was looking for a seat when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He turned around and


    saw Jean and Maranda sitting at a table. He was somewhat surprised as he didn''t expect to run into


    them here. With a stiff look on his face, John walked over to their table.


    "First, let me make this clear. I only came to share the table with you because I didn''t find any spare


    seats. Don''t ask me anything. Just have your lunch, " John said with a very serious look.


    The way he spoke, Jean felt that he intended to hide something from them. She was now even more


    certain about the rumor.


    "Have a seat!" Jean said, looking at John, and then began to have her lunch quietly with Maranda.


    The air around them seemed to get stuffy. John saw the two girls eating quietly while he was sitting


    there and waiting for his food. There was an uneasy expression on his face.


    "Or, would you like to talk about anything?" John felt like biting his tongue as soon as the words


    escaped his lips.


    "John, there''s no need to hide it from us. Even if I want to know about it, I won''t force you to tell me."


    Jean wore a smile as she looked at John and asked, "Just tell me this. Did the Lei Group withdraw their


    money from ourpany?"


    Maranda looked up startled as she heard what Jean said. She looked at Jean with confusion in her


    eyes.


    ''Didn''t I tell her that earlier?


    Why doesn''t she believe me?''


    Maranda kept looking at Jean, her confusion growing.


    Sensing that Maranda was looking at her, Jean gave her a reassuring look that implied she should


    calm down.


    Maranda understood Jean and nodded her head. She thought that Jean needed to know something


    and that was why she asked John about the rumor.


    As soon as he heard Jean, John''s face had an inscrutable look with mixed emotions. He didn''t reply


    until he had stared at Jean for a while. "Yes, you are right, " he finally confirmed.


    Upon hearing this, Jean instinctively nodded her head and asked John another question, "Then tell me,


    if ourpany wasn''t affected, was there anyone else who invested in us instead?"


    Maranda''s eyes glimmered as she thought that what Jean mentioned might be true. She felt extremely


    excited and hopeful now.


    How could she forget the possibility of a new party investing in theirpany?


    If the Lei Group withdrew their money and thepany wasn''t affected, then there must have been


    some new investment!


    Maranda turned to Jean and looked at her with eyes full of respect. She had to admit that Jean really


    thought deeply.


    "I know what you intended to ask." John gave a sigh as he didn''t have any better choice than to refuse


    to answer Jean''s question. He looked into Jean''s eyes and said, "But I can''t tell you. After all, it is


    highly confidential information that only the top executives can know. The party involved asked us to


    keep it a secret. So don''t make it hard on me, alright?"


    John pleaded as he frowned and tightened his lips. He couldn''t vite the regtions, so... he couldn''t


    tell Jean.


    "All right." Jean decided not to turn on the heat on John this time. She began to eat and avoided asking


    any more questions.


    She thought to herself that it would all soon be figured out anyway.


    Her eyes wide open, Maranda thought that Jean would definitely get the answer if she asked John one


    more time as Jean meant so much to him.


    But to Maranda''s surprise, Jean unhesitatingly chose not to persist with her question.


    Jean was really something!


    But in this instance, Maranda could hardly contain her curiosity. She desperately wanted to know the


    answer.


    Maranda lost her appetite all of a sudden as she looked at Jean with growing indignation.


    "Don''t look at me like that. If you have to, look at John!"