Debbie frowned. “Hold on…”
“I know, I know. Your idea is perfect, and I’ll keep that in mind. Lunch is on me.” James waved her off as he left, not bothering to look back.
Debbie was naturally disappointed, but had to hold it because she could not afford to show it!
Harvey was supposed to check on his mother since he returned to Zidonia, so he did not return to Minerva right away.
However, he also wanted to tell Abigail about how Diarmuid reacted to his proposal, so he called her, complaining the instant she answered, “I’m telling you, Diarmuid is heartless. He only cares about money- the lives of others or even the big picture doesn’t matter to him. He’s a paragon of a ruthless businessman! Honestly, why would you keep having children with him? Does he deserve you?”
Abigail quietly listened without responding, while Harvey was still feeling frustrated and was bent on destroying Diarmuid verbally, and slandered him as much as he could.
“You have no idea how ridiculous he was. He actually said that the country’s problems have nothing to do with him! You’ve been with him for so long, but it’s like your love couldn’t reach him. Among all the men I’ve met, he’s the most callous, heinous, tempestuous, petty, vindictive… He has nothing going for him at all!” “Harvey Gooding! What did you just say?!” a man barked from behind just then.
The man’s voice was a little familiar, and Harvey turned around stiffly to see James standing nearby.
He was going to leave to do what Diarmuid told him to, only to find Harvey standing at the entrance and ranting on Diarmuid. “From where I’m standing, you’re the petty one, slandering people behind their backs! Mr. Althoff may have a poor temper, but he’s more of a man than you are! I mean, aren’t you a man? If you are, why ramble on like some fishwife? Do you even understand why you always lose out to him in business?”
“Why?” Harvey asked in reflex, but he regretted it immediately-he just admitted to being less than Diarmuid!
And before he could argue, James said, “That’s because you’re despicable, ignorant, pig-headed, and foolish.”
Harvey was left heaving from frustration, but unable to find a good retort, he simply yelled, “Eat shit, James Cross.”
“I could say the same to you,” James said with a snort. “No one should ever waste their time with you.’
With that, he strode off, leaving Harvey standing there, speechless.
Hold on…
He did not remember hanging up!
Did Abigail hear everything? What should he do?!
Harvey really wanted to hit his head on a brick wall just then.
He slowly lifted his phone, and the screen still read ‘in-call’.
He had ruined his own image! It was so disgraceful!
He genuinely wanted to slap himself across the face-why did he have to call Abigail right outside Diarmuid’s office building and be overheard by Diarmuid’s lapdog James?!
The sheer misfortune!
Composing himself, he held the phone to his ear again, “Uh, Abigail… Did you hear me talking just now?”
Abigail certainly heard everything, and giggled. “Every word, though James did a better job at destroying you.”
Harvey was left speechless again.
“You could have lied. That was so humiliating,” he said as he stopped a taxi.
Abigail played along. “Fine, I heard nothing.”
“Oh, forget it. You’re just making it worse,” Harvey grumbled. Changing the subject, he said, “Anyway, back to business. It doesn’t look like Diarmuid has any plans to get involved, but don’t worry, I will come up with something. I’m going back to Sunny City now to check on my mom before flying back to Minerva-”
Abigail was quick to set boundaries. “You don’t have to tell me everything. I’m going to bed-I’m hanging up now.”
Harvey finally remembered about the time difference. “Alright, I won’t keep you.”
Over at Minerva, Abigail could not sleep after putting down her phone.She walked up to the glass wall, draping a scarf over herself since it was a little cold.She felt a kick in her belly and looked down as she stroked it with a faint smile. “You little imp.”
Her baby was quite lively… Was it a boy, or a girl?She hoped for the latter-he said he wanted a daughter.
Bzzt—
Her phone suddenly vibrated and she turned around to pick it up.
Her eyes flashed when she saw the text and she quickly headed to her laptop.
After hesitating for a moment, she clicked on her email and forwarded what she just received to James’s email address!
She was convinced that James would not catch on since she kept her address anonymous, but she underestimated James’s ability!
James had always been a serious person, and he naturally would be concerned after receiving something like that out of the blue.
It had not been a moment after Abigail sent him the file when he sent a reply.
[Who are you?!]
Abigail did a double take, feeling a little panicked just then.She kept her email address anonymous, but James could email her back already?
She then remembered that James was always helping Diarmuid investigate various matters, including his rivals. Something like an anonymous email was probably too easy for him.
But she could not afford to have James find out about her real identity. What should she do?
[Who are you? How did you know that I am looking into the Raideens?!]
James clearly sounded wary, and he probably would not easily believe the data Abigail sent him.
Still, she remembered Harvey amid her panic, and replied: [Harvey Gooding. If she stayed silent, she would be dead if James tracked her IP address.On the other end, James actually paused in thought, surprised to find out that it was Harvey.
Remembering that Harvey met with Diarmuid earlier, Abigail added: [Look, I met your boss today because I wanted to talk to him about the link between the Raideens and Mead Clinic.]
When James read it, he understood why Diarmuid asked him to investigate the Raideens and his suspicions eased.
He asked: [Why aren’t you using this leverage for yourself?]
[I don’t have what it takes.]
It was not as if Abigail doubted Harvey, but when it came to getting things done, she had a rather pessimistic opinion of him.
On the other hand, James almost laughed out loud when he saw Abigail’s reply.
At least he was self-aware.
Still, it was actually helpful, so James replied: [Thanks.]
Abigail was patting her chest in relief when she saw the reply.
Thank goodness she survived.
Her baby had not been moving earlier, seemingly sensing her anxiety.
Now that she was relieved, it was happily kicking, and Abigail could not sleep because of all the ruckus in her belly. She had to lay on her side, keeping her scarred cheek buried in her pillow.
The other half of her face was mesmerizingly tender as she smiled and stroked her belly. “Such a mischievous brat, tormenting me so much. I wonder who you take after…?”
James compiled the materials he personally gathered with the file ‘Harvey’ sent him before giving it to Diarmuid.
His efficiency and effectiveness actually surprised Diarmuid. How long has it been since he had accomplished a task so well?
As Diarmuid scanned through it, he actually frowned when he reached the part of the Raideen family scandal!
Although the Raideen family managed to hide it from the public, it still held weight against them because it would make them the laughing stock of everyone.
Looking up, Diarmuid asked, “How did you manage to uncover this so quickly?”
James knew how useful the scandal was for them, but did not hog the accomplishment. “Harvey Gooding gave it to me-a broken clock is right twice a day, I guess.”
Diarmuid’s gaze darkened as he kept staring at the papers. He was actually doubtful that Harvey would give him something like this.
Still, James had no reason to lie, so Diarmuid shut the file and said, “Let’s head to Minerva.”
“I’ll make the arrangements,” James said.
Diarmuid had a private jet used expressly for trips to and from Franconia, and he basically did not take airliners these days. He had also acquired Globe Airways through Remy just to make things more convenient.
However, he had stopped taking his medication, and there were bags under his eyes due to poor sleep.
James came up to him, “Why don’t you resume your medication for some rest?”
Diarmuid waved him off, and James thought that he probably should get started with Debbie’s suggestion already.
He texted Stan Hill: [Need a refined, good-looking woman.]
Stan replied: [Are you in heat?]
James really wanted to tell him to fuck off right then, but restrained himself.
[Mr. Althoff had not been sleeping well for a while. We need to get him a woman, or his mind would eventually suffer.]
Stan became serious right then. [Alright. I’ll look around.]
[Good.]
With that text sent, James dozed off.
He had no idea how long he was sleeping, but when he awoke with a muddled head, he saw Diarmuid clenching on a scaffolding, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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